JITRA: A crime gang known as “Geng Pak Lon” whose members are suspected of posing as police officers to extort money from foreign workers in the Kulim area have been crippled.
Kedah police chief Datuk Fisol Salleh said 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 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 yesterday, Bernama reported.
He said 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 added.
In a separate development, Fisol said 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 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.
