PUTRAJAYA, Dec 20 — Police are on guard for any retaliation by gang members whose alleged leader was brutally attacked at a petrol station in Johor Baru, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
In a report by The Star, the home minister reportedly said after determining that the motive for the murder was rivalry and competition between two underworld groups, the police will be on the lookout for brawls or incident breakouts that may be linked to the case.
“The reasons for the attack have been narrowed down and a manhunt for four identified assailants is ongoing.”
“At the same time, the police elite team for anti-vice, gambling and gangsterism is on high alert to counter any act of revenge by gangsters,” he was quoted saying after attending the Home Ministry’s monthly assembly.
Zahid said the deceased is believed to be the leader of an underworld organisation but did not disclose the group’s name.
Police are in the midst of determining the areas in which the rival gangs operated and whether they were competing for territorial control or other things.
“I have requested the police to conti¬nue their operations against underworld activities and reminded them that there should not be a day that goes by without an operation, be it against drugs, syndicates, vice or gangsterism,” he said.
Earlier a police source told Malay Mail initial investigation suggested the victim was involved in drugs, and the suspects are believed to his supplier.
The source said the suspects became enraged when Tan started avoiding the suspects and also tarnished their name among underworld gangs.
The victim, known as Tan Ah Choy, was stabbed several times and run over twice by the suspects’ car at the scene 500m from the Taman Pelangi police station at 7.30pm on Sunday.
Tan had 13 previous drug records. He was with his Vietnamese girlfriend and was inflating the tyres of his car at the petrol station when the assault took place.
Yesterday Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Nor Rashid Ibrahim said a special squad to probe the murder has been set up to arrest the suspects.
