Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador confirmed that four police officers had been detained on suspicions of corruption and abuse of power following the discovery of a drug laboratory in Cheras on February 12.
- The four – an inspector, two detective corporals, a corporal – are seasoned policemen with more than 12 years of service in the police force
- The man who was extorted lodged a report after he was arrested, alleging he had paid a RM3 million bribe to the four cops
- The location of the drug lab does not fall under the jurisdiction of the four Selangor-based police officers
Hamid said all the officers were detained in Selangor yesterday and the case was being handled by Bukit Aman.
He added that a special investigation team has been set up to investigate the case.
“We have identified who were involved in the irresponsible act and (we) will not compromise,” he said.
It is understood that the four officers, who are aged 37 and 38, were attached to the Selangor CID but the drug processing laboratory in Cheras was being investigated by Kuala Lumpur police.
Hamid said it was possible that the activities of the officers were unknown to their superiors.
“We will conduct a comprehensive investigation involving all aspects and nobody will escape in this matter,” he said.
He added that the probe is in its early stages and police have yet to recover the alleged bribe the policemen are said to have received.
The four were arrested by a Kuala Lumpur police team at about 10am on Tuesday at the Selangor police headquarters.
Those detained were an inspector, two detective corporals and a corporal.
They are believed to be seasoned policemen with each having more than 12 years of service in the police force.
Reportedly, all four men have denied the allegations.
It is learnt that the cops were nabbed after a 49-year-old Taiwanese man, who was arrested last week by Kuala Lumpur police in a drug bust in Cheras, lodged a police report on Monday alleging that he had paid RM3 million to the four suspects.
The foreigner, who was arrested for a drug-processing laboratory he was allegedly operating in an apartment unit, claimed that he was approached by the four policemen days prior to the raid and threatened of arrest.
The suspect alleged the policemen demanded for a multi-million-ringgit bribe to not take action on him.
According to Malay Mail, the cops had initially demanded RM5 million in cash after they “raided” the 29th floor apartment where the lab was at 6am on Feb 8.
However, only RM3 million was handed over to the policemen who left in two unmarked police cars.
The total sum of RM3 million was made up of RM1 million of the complainant’s personal cash in the apartment, with the remaining RM2 million borrowed from an unknown party.
Days after the bribe was paid, KL police raided the laboratory at Bandar Tun Razak that had been operating for about two months.
The raiding party made seizures worth more than RM2.23 million, including 27,546 kg of ketamine and 1,426 ecstasy pills. Police also confiscated cash, equipment and vehicles.
Two Taiwanese, a China national and a local man, all aged between 30 and 49 were arrested in the raid.
The location of the laboratory does not fall under the jurisdiction of the four Selangor-based policemen implicated in the case.
It is understood the police is currently inspecting the homes of the four police officers to search for evidence and clues, and have also seized two unmarked police cars — a Proton Waja and also a Proton Persona — to assist the probe as both vehicles are believed to have been used by the suspects on the day of the alleged extortion.