POLICE have smashed a criminal gang active since 2009 with the arrest of eight suspects and one shot dead in several operations in the Klang Valley on Saturday until early this morning.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Azmi Abu Kassim said the dead suspect was a 40-year-old local man who first fired at police when a team of policemen raided his hideout in Salak Selatan at 10pm on Saturday.

He said a search on the dead suspect yielded a black CZ 75 Compact pistol with five live bullets.

“Police also found a hand grenade in the sling bag of the dead man, which we believe was used in burglary cases in Taman Tasik Permaisuri, Cheras last year, with losses amounting to RM693,000,” he told a media conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

Azmi said following the raid, police launched Op Tiger to track down the remaining accomplices of the dead suspect and succeeded in apprehending eight people, all of whom are locals.

He said police also seized another similar pistol at a godown in North Klang in a raid at about 6am today.

“Based on initial investigations, the group is believed to be involved in 15 robbery cases, three murders and various other cases such as drugs, house break-ins, and vehicle thefts,” he said.

According to him, all the suspects aged between 28 and 67, are dangerous individuals, with one having up to 40 past criminal records.

He said police are now hunting for the remaining members of the gang and believed several arrests would be made soon.

“Members of the public with information on the gang are urged to channel information to the nearest police station,” he said. – Bernama, June 20, 2022.