Ex-cops, soldiers may be on gangs’ payroll, says report

Gangs said to be recruiting former police and military personnel, who were sacked over disciplinary problems, to be hired guns.

(FMT) – Criminal gangs are recruiting former police and military personnel, who were discharged for various disciplinary faults, to carry out hits.

The Malay Mail, quoting a police source, said this was due to their expertise in handling firearms.

According to the source, some of these hired guns end up working for the same thugs they had been tasked to take down while in the force.

“The moment of desperation (for the personnel) hits when their steady pay cheque while working in the force is abruptly stopped, and the funds start becoming tight.

“Suddenly, you find yourself broke, but you are very well-trained in handling firearms. What else can they do to utilise that rare ability?” the source told the daily, adding that the transition for these men from law enforcers to assassins is made easier by the contacts established with the thugs, during their crime-fighting days.

The source also spoke about the “Satu Hati” gang, which was thrust into the limelight following the gunning down of one of its members – V. Kandasamy, at a traffic light junction in Setapak, in broad daylight, last week.

The gang was reportedly formed in the early 1980s by a man who was only known as Yb Solo. The gang’s creed was to avoid being involved in drugs and prostitution. However, some members started going against the creed as years went by and this resulted in a split.

Members who left “Satu Hati” joined the notorious “36” gang, and a turf war erupted when the members who left started encroaching on territories controlled by the former. This eventually resulted in killings of members from both groups.

The Malay Mail also reported the source as saying that gangs typically demanded around RM500 a month in protection money from businesses, such as restaurants and retail outlets, in areas they “controlled”.

However, the gangs also preferred to target “bigger fish” like pubs and construction sites, where there is more to be made. Failure to comply with the demands would see the business premises damaged and suffer constant harassment from the thugs.

Some gangs even provide manpower to construction sites, which are then forced to subscribe to their protection services, said the report.

Gangs are able to rake in thousands of ringgit monthly through such tactics.