Gang 24 recruiting members via WhatsApp - Police

Police have urged parents to monitor their childrens' communications via smartphones to prevent them from joining secret societies which have been actively recruiting members via WhatsApp.

Selangor CID chief SAC Fadzil Ahmat said this followed the discovery of WhatsApp groups called ''Gang 24'' and '' Apache'' when interrogating gang members arrested for causing a commotion in front of a school in Klang.

"Investigation found that they had set up WhatsApp groups to communicate with members . Police believe the commotion in front of the school was aimed at drawing the school students to the gang," he told a press conference after visiting Serdang Hospital in conjunction with the 210th Police Day, here today.

Police have arrested 38 people believed to be members of Gang 24 and freed 33 school students aged between 16 and 18 years old on Monday.

Fadzil said five others were working as mechanic, security guard, plumber and labourer were still being detained for investigation.

"We are tracing all the individuals involved in the commotion. More suspects are being sought to assist investigation under Section 143 of the Penal Code."

On April 20, two video recordings showing a group of men believed to be members of Gang 24 causing a commotion outside a school in Klang went viral in the social media.

The first video shows a group of people shouting and holding banners which read ''24'' and ''TD4'' while the second video shows a cake with the words ''SMK Sri Andalas'', ''24'' and Apache.

Earlier, more than 50 police personnel and members of the Police Family Association (Perkep) spent two hours visiting the patients in the hospital wards.

Selangor Police deputy chief Datuk Mohd Fuad Abdul Latif gave away souvenirs to the patients and donated 15 wheelchairs to Serdang Hospital.

- BERNAMA

ROZ RJR AZM SNS CJ ZUB 26/04/2017 15-19ST