Police nab nine members of triad gangs at Malaysia-Thai border

Police arrested nine men, believed to be members of Gang 04 and Gang 08 at the Bukit Kayu Hitam Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex here last night.

They were believed to have attempted to cross the border in a bid to find a hiding place in Thailand.

Bukit Aman Anti-Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies Division (D7) director Datuk Abd Jalil Hasan said the men, aged between 24 and 47, were nabbed at about 7.30 pm.

Initial investigation found that one of them did not have a passport or valid travel document to enter the neighbouring country.

He said they were believed to have gone to the CIQ area on foot to prevent from being detected after the police intensified the operation, dubbed Ops Cantas Khas, to combat violent crimes involving the gangs.

"They were detected to have crossed the border almost everyday based on the Immigration stamps on their passports and we believe they were trying to escape the police as some of them were crossing the border to get their tattoo removed in Thailand.

"We also believe that the nine individuals have positions in their respective gangs and some of them were the 'fighters' involved in fighting cases. We will investigate further into the case," he told reporters at the CIQ early today.

Abd Jalil said the nine men hailed from the Kedah, Perak and Selangor.

He said the Royal Malaysian Police would also seek the cooperation from the Thailand police to track down other members of the gangs who were still active in the country.