Johor police chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said all the locals, aged between 21 and 40, were arrested through public tip-offs and police intelligence. — Bernama pic
JOHOR BARU, Nov 16 — A total of 14 men believed to be members of a secret society involved in two fighting incidents were arrested in Seri Alam and Kulai, two days ago.
Johor police chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said all the locals, aged between 21 and 40, were arrested through public tip-offs and police intelligence.
He said investigations found that five of the individuals arrested were members of “Gang 36”, four from “Gang 21” and five from “Gang 04”.
“The cause of the fight is believed to have occurred due to misunderstandings and verbal quarrels while they were all drunk,” he told a press conference, here today.
Ayob Khan said all the individuals involved have been remanded from November 14 to November 17 and the case was being investigated under Section 43 of the Societies Act 1966 and Section 148 of the Penal Code.
He said his team had also recently arrested 16 local men who members of the secret society through the operation codenamed “Op Cahaya”, which was carried out throughout the state from October 28 to November 10.
According to him, all the individuals aged 17 to 50 were investigated according to Section 43 of the Societies Act 1966.
“During this operation, we have detained 30 individuals believed to be members of the secret society based on the 66 cases of violence we had received. Our investigations found that 16 of them were secret society members based on the tattoos and emblems on their bodies,” he said.
He said since January, a total of 70 individuals from seven gangs had been detained under the Societies Act 1966.
Ayob Khan said of the 70 individuals involved, 29 were from Gang 21, 16 from Gang 36, nine from Gang 04, eight from Gang 08, two from Hong Kong San Gang, five from NGO Sek Kee Gang and one from the Kong Kia Gang.
“Of all those arrested, action was taken against 20 individuals, namely 13 from Gang 21 and seven from Gang 36 under the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (POCA),” he said. — Bernama