Penang cops target 2,000 on wanted list
GEORGE TOWN: Penang police are hot on the heels of some 2,000 people on its wanted list, who have yet to be detained for their alleged involvement in various types of crimes committed in the state in the last few years.
State police chief Datuk Seri A. Thaiveegan said there were about 100 people on its wanted list for criminal offences, 900 people for commercial crime offences and close to 1,000 people for narcotics offences.
“I want police officers not to waste their time on worthless efforts, but instead focus on solving these cases. Track them (the criminals) down and arrest them.
“Their victims are seeking justice and it is up to us to uphold it.
“The people are worried over robbery and burglary cases. We must act fast to lend a hand to them whenever needed,” he said at the monthly police assembly at the state police contingent headquarters here yesterday.
Speaking to the New Straits Times Press later, he said the state would be implementing a facial identification system to assist police to track down criminals.
He said the system could identify the lawbreakers once they set foot in the state using cameras installed.
He, however, said it would take years before the system could be implemented.
“For now, it is at the discussion stage with various parties. It involves finances, logistics and manpower to make it happen.
“In the meantime, we will focus our efforts on the criminals.”
Meanwhile, Thaiveegan said that the state’s crime rate had dropped 10.3 per cent from 4,201 cases between Jan 1 and Sept 30 last year to 3,767 cases in the same period this year.
For commercial crime, the rate had dropped by nine per cent, while the violent crime rate had dropped by 15.9 per cent.
In the first nine months of this year, state police had detained 8,454 people involved in drug-related offences with seizures amounting to RM190.6 million.