Police have identified gang leaders in the country - Deputy IGP

Police have identified leaders of secret societies in the country and are expected to arrest them in a special operation to be conducted soon, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim said today.

He believed that with the arrest of the gang leaders concerned, it would curb problems on gangsterism.

He was speaking at a media conference when asked on problems of gangsterism in schools.

Noor Rashid said action under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (SOSMA) 2012 had been taken against 40 members of two secret societies known as Gang 24 and Gang 36.

Following that, he said, there was a drop in cases involving gangsterism until recently when they resorted to a new tactic by involving school children.

"This is because they (secret societies) know that the action against students (involved) will not be severe, which is under the Penal Code, unlike under SOSMA where the suspects will not be allowed bail until disposal of the case," he added.

Earlier, Noor Rashid witnessed the handing over of duties by outgoing Perak Police Chief Datuk Seri Abd Rahim Hanafi to the new state police chief Datuk Hasnan Hassan.

Abd Rahim has been transferred to Bukit Aman, while Hasnan was previously the Perak deputy police chief.

-- BERNAMA