KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 22 men suspected to be secret society members, including two gang leaders, were arrested in a special operation dubbed ‘Op Cantas Sinecura’ around Puchong, Serdang, Kapar and Klang last Wednesday (April 21).

Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Datuk Huzir Mohamed said 12 individuals were from the ‘Gang 18 Dato Suresh’ while 10 others were from ‘Gang 21 Sunder’.

“Investigations revealed that all suspects, aged 35 to 48, are active in secret society activities and violent crimes such as rioting, extortion and causing hurt.

“They have one to nine previous records relating to fighting, robbery, drugs and other offences under the Societies Act 1966, Section 324 of the Penal Code and the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (POCA),” he said in a statement today.

Huzir said the operation was conducted following a video of an incident on Nov 25 last year that went viral on social media showing a group of men (Gang 18 Dato Suresh members) rioting and hurting a victim at an entertainment outlet in Brickfields here.

In the incident, a policeman who happened to be conducting intelligence duties at the entertainment outlet was surrounded, taunted and beaten by the group, he said.

In a separate incident in Kapar, Selangor on Jan 21 last year, a group of men (from Gang 21 Sunder) armed with parang, sticks and metal rods attacked a victim, causing serious injuries.

“We have also detected several video clips showing the gangs’ aggressive and violent actions and found that there were 10 police reports lodged against the groups,” he said, adding that the viral videos caused concern among the public.

Huzir said that the police, especially the CID viewed the matter seriously and would never compromise with secret societies or gangsters that break the law and threaten public order.

-- BERNAMA