Police are confident of catching the mastermind behind recent rumours that inspector-general of police Ismail Omar had died.

Deputy IGP Khalid Abu Bakar, disclosing this to reporters after attending the Police Contingent Headquarters' Chinese New Year function in Malacca, said they had obtained new leads on the rumour-mongers and were in the process of identifying the main suspect.

Following the rumours spread through social website Facebook and short-messaging-service (SMS), two youths in their 20s were detained in Penang and Ipoh to assist in investigations.    

In another development, Khalid said the marine police would step up patrolling off the country's waters particularly the Straits of Malacca to curb smuggling and human trafficking activities.     

In this regard, the marine police together with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) would enhance the gathering of intelligence information to track down the culprits.

"I urge those who are involved in such illegal activities to stop, as these are serious offences," he warned.

Local authority enforcement officers should be armed

Meanwhile, Khalid when asked whether local authority (LA) enforcement personnel should be armed while carrying out operations, said this depended on the need during the operation.

"Police are always working beside the LA as well as other government agencies in enforcing the law," he said.

On Jan 27, a Malacca Historical City Council enforcement assistant, Azizan Abbas, 26, and four of his colleagues were injured after being assaulted by about 30 men while carrying out an operation against illegal internet gambling activities at Taman Sri Duyong.

- Bernama