KEDAH COPS BUST 'GENG PAK LON' AFTER THREE-MONTH EXTORTION SPREE

JITRA, Oct 28 (Bernama) --  Kedah police have crippled the ‘Geng Pak Lon’ a crime gang whose members are suspected of posing as police officers to extort foreign workers in the Kulim area.

Kedah police chief Datuk Fisol Salleh said that three men aged between 20 and 30 were arrested after the police received a report on Oct 24 regarding the suspects' activities.

“The suspects targeted foreign workers while they were at their workers' quarters. They claimed to be police officers and conducted checks on these individuals," he told a press conference at the Kubang Pasu District Police Headquarters today.

He said that the suspects, who usually dressed in plain clothes, are believed to have demanded cash from foreign workers who had violations, such as lacking valid documents.

"Cases like this have a negative impact on the image of police officers. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were involved in five cases and are believed to have been active since July or possibly earlier."

"The suspects also have previous criminal records and tested positive for drugs at the time of their arrest," he said.

In a separate development, Fisol said that the police have detained seven individuals to assist in the investigation into a gold sales scam involving losses amounting to millions of ringgit.

He said that five men and two women, including the mastermind behind the case, aged between 29 and 62, were arrested between Sept 12 and Oct 25. All are still in police remand.

"Forty-eight reports have been received regarding this case in Kedah, and there are also cases involving other police contingents," he said.

The media previously reported that the police are actively seeking an individual known as Siti Hajartul Haini Abd Hamid to assist in the investigation into the gold sales scam involving losses reaching millions of ringgit.

The suspect is said to have offered gold for sale below market prices, ranging from RM150 to RM200 per gramme but failed to respond to victims’ attempts to get in touch after payments were made. 

-- BERNAMA