TAIPING, Feb 12 ― A criminal gang, known as Geng Ah Fatt and which had been impersonating members of the police force to commit armed robberies in Perak and Selangor has been busted through a series of operations in the past two months.
District police chief ACP Osman Mamat said to date, 12 members of the gang aged between 20 and 39, including two women, were arrested by police, who also seized various stolen items from them.
Since August last year, the gang leader, known as “Ah Fatt” had been actively recruiting members to commit crimes in several districts in Perak Selangor.
“Their modus operandi is to stop their victims while masquerading as policemen by wearing security vests and brandishing handcuffs before robbing them.
“Police seized various items, including five cars, a fake pistol, two parangs, a pair of handcuffs, police uniforms, two vests, 21 mobile phones, various identification documents, two packets of heroin and 570 pil kuda (yaba pills), all worth RM600,000,” he told a media conference here yesterday.
Osman said the seized vehicles had been reported missing in Perak and Selangor, adding that with the arrests, police are confident some 25 armed robberies, police impersonation, burglary and vehicle theft cases in both states have been solved.
All 12 suspects have previous criminal and drug records and have been remanded until Sunday, he said.
In another development, he said an unemployed man was detained last week for having in possession an air rifle, crossbow and pellets at a house in Taman Jebong Aman, Simpang.
He said the suspect, who has been remanded until Sunday, admitted to obtaining the weapon from an Indonesian man in 2016 and had been keeping it for his own use.
In a separate statement issued later, Osman said police had detained a 43-year-old naked man who had run amok with a parang near the Rumah Hijau housing area yesterday evening.
“The suspect has a history of being treated at Hospital Bahagia Hulu Kinta in Tanjung Rambutan and acted aggressively after he stopped taking his medication.
“He was later coaxed to lay down the weapon and calmed down before being sent to the Taiping Hospital for treatment,” Osman said. ― Bernama
