THREE MELAKA COPS HELD OVER PROTECTION-RACKET SCHEME

Arrests were made during raids on gambling centres and massage parlours

KELLY KOH

MELAKA kelly.koh@nst.com.my

FOR years, a number of policemen, including high-ranking officers, was believed to have been running a protection racket for illegal gambling dens and massage parlours.

They would collect money from these businesses by guaranteeing them that they would not be raided by police.

What’s more, if any policemen opposed their activities, they would pull strings to get these policemen transferred out.

So powerful were these police officers’ connections that they transfered out a district police chief who was said to have been against their protection racket.

Their activities, however, did not go unnoticed.

Yesterday, three officers, believed to be among the leaders of the group of unethical policemen, were nabbed when Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers conducted simultaneous raids on illegal businesses in the state.

The officers — two with the rank of assistant superintendent and the other an inspector — were aged between 31 and 41.

They were attached to the Melaka Tengah and Jasin district police headquarters.

Also arrested in the swoop were two others — one who acted as the middleman between the policemen and the operators of the gambling dens and massage parlours, and the other was the operator of a gambling den.

A source said MACC had been monitoring the dens and policemen for months.

“The bribes these operators paid to the policemen were to protect them from action against their activities.

“They were arrested at 11am,” said the source.

He said MACC was looking for other policemen believed to be involved in the racket.

MACC hoped to identify and record statements from several policemen, including the former district police chief who was transferred out.

MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Azam Baki did not discount the possibility that there would be more arrests.

The suspects will be produced at the Putrajaya court today where MACC will apply for remand orders to assist in investigations under the MACC Act 2009 and Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001.

Melaka police chief Datuk Jalil Abdul Hassan confirmed the case, but did not reveal any details, saying that it might interfere with MACC’s investigations.

“I wont say that they were arrested, but they were called in for interrogation at the MACC office,” he said.