KL police fight porn peddlers

KL police fight porn peddlers

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Malaysian police will use a law allowing detention without trial against peddlers of pornography who have threatened officers enforcing a nationwide crackdown.

Over the past month, senior officials responsible for a clampdown on street stalls selling illegal and pornographic video compact disks have received death threats from gangs involved in the trade.

Ramly Yussuf, director of the police Criminal Investigations Department, was cited by The Star newspaper Friday as saying authorities were fed up with the threats and will invoke an emergency ordinance to detain without trial anyone menacing enforcement officers.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad last month ordered a nationwide crackdown on pornography, saying he is worried over its effects on society.

Ramly said that more than 770 people have been arrested so far in the crackdown. Lawmakers have pledged to tighten anti-porn laws, which have mostly been punishable by fines, to curb sexual abuse and violence.