Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today that there were 133 civil servants among the detained and surrendered members of the illegal Federal Special Forces of Malaysia.

Of this figure he said 11 were from the army, 61 teachers, two lecturers, three nurses, two drivers, nine labourers and 45 others from other government services.

According to national news agency Bernama , he said three former policemen and 43 ex-servicemen were also involved in the organisation.

Abdullah, who is also home minister, said 84 members of the clandestine paramilitary movement were arrested while 2,637 others surrendered after the police launched a nationwide crackdown on July 23.

He added that the police seized military uniforms, authority cards, handcuffs and documents related to the activities of the organisation.

They were arrested under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and being members and holding positions in an illegal organisation, an offence punishable under Section 42 of the Societies Act 1966.

No terror-links

Abdullah also said initial police investigations unearthed no links between the organisation and terrorist groups such as the Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia (KMM) and Jemaah Ismaiah (JI).

He added that at this stage, investigations revealed that the organisation was involved in cheating but was not a threat to national security.

However, he said the police are determining if the organisation had any hidden agendas.

Abdullah said he was informed by the police at a briefing yesterday that investigations into the organisation were still being actively pursued under an operation codenamed 'Operasi Impian'.

He also stressed that the organisation has been incapacitated following the arrest of its leader Nor Azami Ahmad Ghazali ( photo ).

He said the leader claimed to be a "commander with the rank of Jeneral, have a Datuskship and a PhD."

Abdullah said activities of the organisation came to light in early June after police suspected something amiss and swung into action immediately to cripple the organisation which they did in less than two months.

Splinter group

He added that the organisation was a splinter group from the Malaysian Emergency Action Squad, an organisation registered in 1998.

According to the deputy premier, the original aim of the squad was to help the police, Fire and

Rescue Department and rescue teams in search and rescue operations during disasters.

He said it started with only 20 members comprising those expelled from the Malaysian Emergency Action Squad.

Elaborating further on the crackdown, Abdullah said no firearms were seized apart from the two old "Musket" shotguns.

He said police investigations showed Nor Azami financed the activities of the organisation by selling the "army pips" to members.

"What we know some of the pips are sold for RM25,000 because some 'captains' can become 'Majors' when they buy the pips from Nor Azami," he explained.