KUALA LUMPUR: The Special Task Force on Organised Crime (Stafoc), an elite federal police unit, will spearhead efforts to counter the recent spate of violent crimes involving firearms.

theSun learnt that more than 200 members of Stafoc will be tasked to primarily hunt down gun-runners, hired killers and those who illegally possess firearms.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar told theSun today that a special operation by the task force is expected to kick off soon.

Asked to elaborate on the operation and if it would be similar to the intensive Ops Cantas Khas three years ago, he said: "I will not say it yet, but the team will go on the operation across the country soon."

On Saturday, Khalid revealed that the steep surge in shooting cases in the past month had prompted police to form a task force that will focus on the cases and bring the perpetrators to book.

He was quoted as saying that the shooting cases were not random but targeted at the victims for various reasons.

In the most recent shooting incident, a businesswoman, Datin Wong Siu Ling, 32, was gunned down in broad day light as she was driving in the Taman OUG area here at about 2.30pm on the first day of Hari Raya.

Two assailants on a motorcycle fired five shots at Wong's Toyota Vellfire, killing her on the spot.

She was with her five children and her maid in her car at the time of the shooting and her eight-year-old daughter was hit by a stray bullet. Her daughter has since undergone two surgeries to remove a slug from her liver.

Other shooting cases earlier include that of:

>> a contractor who was shot dead in Jinjang Kuala Lumpur in January;

>> a nasi kandar restaurant owner who was shot dead in Penang in February; and

>> Miri PKR branch secretary Bill Kayong who was shot dead in his car last month.

Ops Cantas Khas launched in August 2013 to weed out gangsterism and violent crimes was a huge success for police that resulted in a sharp plunge in crimes especially ones involving firearms in just over a month after it took off nationwide.

Almost 270,000 people were screened and more than 10,000 suspected criminals were arrested.

Police also seized about 40 firearms, over 1,300 rounds of ammunition and 130 sharp weapons and recovered more than 400 stolen vehicles during the operation which went on full scale for months and lowered the crime index to a historical low.

Resource : The Sundaily