KUALA LUMPUR: A former police officer has been arrested on suspicion of being involved in the circulation of a list of police personnel names alleged to be colluding with various organised crime syndicates.

The 33-year-old male suspect was arrested at about 11.30pm yesterday, in Alor Setar, Kedah after he was found to be linked to the dissemination of an article entitled 'Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) D7 Cartel Group' which was viraled on social media.

Bukit Aman CID director Datuk Huzir Mohamed said in the article, the suspect revealed the names of the police personnel said to be involved in abuse of power, protecting, abetting, conspiring and accepting bribes from the syndicates.

He said the article was widely circulated and the public was outraged by news of the alleged misconduct.

"The suspect had also claimed that the police personnel were also involved in several crime syndicates such as the Nicky Liow, Addy Kanna, Wan Padang Besar, Pak Su Bukit Kayu Hitam and Tiger 99 gangs," he said in a statement today.

Following that, police reports were lodged by four police officers whose names were revealed in the article.

At the same time, Huzir said four investigation papers were opened under Section 500 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 to track, detain and prosecute any individual involved in spreading defamatory statements.

Further investigation found that the suspect, a former Inspector, had previously been sentenced to two years of surveillance under the Crime Prevention Act 1959 by the Crime Prevention Board (LPJ).

"The suspect was arrested during Op Mualang which was conducted by Bukit Aman CID Anti-Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies Division (D7) to curtail gangsterism activities around Klang," he said adding that the suspect had also made several allegations against the division's personnel.

Huzir said investigations revealed that the suspect had acted out of anger as he had been holding a grudge against the D7 Division as they were responsible for his dismissal.

Police have also seized a laptop, mobile phone and various other items which would be sent to the forensic lab for analysis, he added.

He urged the public to stop making any speculation, unfounded assumptions and to shop sharing or spreading the viral issue through social media channels.

-- BERNAMA