Under close watch: The three suspects being brought to the Sepang court under heavy guard after their extradition from Mumbai, India. The trio, who are on Interpol’s Red Notice list, are accused of being key members of the notorious ‘Captain Praba’ gang. — Bernama
SEPANG: Three key members of the “Captain Praba” gang have been extradited back to Malaysia and charged in court.
The trio were flown back to Malaysia on a commercial flight from Mumbai under tight security, with the suspects arriving early yesterday.
They were previously escorted from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport following their detention by Indian authorities.
It is learnt that the three men, who are on Interpol’s Red Notice list, were placed under the highest level of security due to potential risks and threats arising from their arrest.
The suspects, believed to be in their 30s, were detained by Indian authorities at the Mumbai airport after turning violent upon their arrival there on Jan 25.
After landing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), the suspects were brought to Sepang district police headquarters for the purpose of documentation.
In the afternoon, they were brought to the Sepang court where they were charged with being members of an organised crime group.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Comm Datuk M. Kumar said that they were all charged at 2.30pm yesterday following the extradition.
“All three suspects were arrested following warrants of arrest issued by the Sepang Sessions Court on Jan 14. Their arrests were made with the cooperation and assistance of local authorities in Mumbai before they were brought back to Malaysia,” he said in a statement.
Investigations revealed that the trio had earlier attempted to enter Britain after departing from Mumbai. Immigration officers at Manchester Airport were alerted to their status as high-profile criminals and denied them entry.
Under international protocol, individuals denied entry must be returned to their last port of departure.
Upon realising they were effectively cornered when their flight landed back in Mumbai, the suspects allegedly became aggressive in an attempt to evade arrest.
The three men are believed to be among the main targets of “Ops Jack Sparrow”, a large-scale operation by Bukit Aman CID.
During the operation in September last year, police arrested 17 members of the organised crime group in several states.
Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail had said the arrests were carried out during an operation on Sept 11 in Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Penang and Perak.
The gang is believed to have been active since 2023, with a total membership of 33 individuals.
A suspect known as “Captain Praba” has been identified as the group’s leader.
The suspects are believed to be involved in various violent crimes, including murder, armed assault, gang robbery and arson.
Against the gang was triggered by an attack in Taman Sentosa, Klang, early last year, where a man was assaulted by a group armed with firearms and machetes, followed by the murder of a man at a restaurant in Brickfields, in addition to several other organised crime cases.
