KUALA LUMPUR: Business rivalry and revenge have been identified as the motives behind the viral large-scale gang attack at a karaoke centre in Taman Shamelin, Cheras.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Comm Datuk Fadil Marsus said those responsible for the attack had hired an underworld gang to carry out the attack at about 1.30pm on April 5.
“So far we have detained 45 local men aged between 14 and 57 within and outside of the Klang Valley.
“Two of those detained were secondary school students,” he told a press conference yesterday.
Comm Fadil said the police managed to seize the lorry used to ram the front gates of the entertainment outlet.
“We also seized several weapons used in the attack, including steel rods, wooden sticks and baseball bats.
“The outlet that was attacked had a proper business licence,” he added.
Comm Fadil said several others involved in the incident were still at large.
“Based on the video that went viral, we believe more than 60 individuals were involved in the incident.
“We will aggressively pursue them, as such violent actions will not be tolerated.
“We are also investigating how much the perpetrators were paid to carry out the attack,” he said.
Comm Fadil urged the public to contact the police immediately should they encounter any criminal incident.
It was reported that a large group of masked men, believed to be linked to a secret society, allegedly stormed an entertainment outlet.
The incident came to light following a viral video showing a large group – mostly dressed in black and armed – charging into the premises.
In the footage, a lorry is seen ramming the main gate of the KTV outlet, damaging it before a group of individuals entered the compound.
Meanwhile, in another case, six men, including a senior police officer, were detained in connection with a series of armed robberies targeting wealthy foreign nationals, with total losses estimated at RM4.4mil.
“The victims comprised two Chinese nationals – a man and a woman – and an Indonesian woman, aged between 29 and 52.
“The incidents occurred in Kepong on April 5, between 5.30am and 7.30am, when six suspects broke into the victims’ homes.
“One of the suspects brandished an object resembling a pistol.
“The suspects’ modus operandi was to impersonate police officers and carry out robberies by targeting residences of foreign nationals,” he said.
The suspects made off with three vehicles – a Toyota Alphard, a Rolls-Royce and a Bentley – along with a safe, RM24,200 in cash, US$1,200, various jewellery items and two gold bars in three separate robberies.
Comm Fadil said acting on intelligence, a team of police officers detained three men at about 8.45pm on April 5.
“Information obtained from the initial arrests led to the capture of three more suspects believed to be involved in the case. All suspects, aged between 31 and 51, were detained in Kuala Lumpur,” he said.
Comm Fadil said police also seized two pistols, five vehicles, RM13,056 in cash, various foreign currencies, eight mobile phones and two security passes.
“Among those arrested was a police officer who had been suspended from duty and had a prior criminal record related to drugs.
“The police officer and the civilians impersonated law enforcement personnel to carry out the armed robberies.
“The policeman was the mastermind of the criminal activities, while the firearms were obtained through two suspects who worked as personal bodyguards and held valid firearm licences,” he said.
On another matter, Comm Fadil said three men have been remanded for allegedly disrupting a speech by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki.
“They have been remanded for three days and are being investigated for obstructing a public servant from carrying out his duties, incitement, criminal intimidation and trespass,” he added.
