The accused are M Lavindran, 27; M Meganathan, 37; M Tinesh, 20; K Utayaragu, 29; M Thinesh, 31, S Jeevan, 19; J Sangaranarayanan, 28; P Joshua, 35; M Devindran, 25; M Nokarju, 29; S Tivagaran, 22; S Logeswaran, 26, and D Vijayakumar, 36.

No plea was recorded after the charges were read in Tamil before judge Ahmad Fuad Othman as the case falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court, Harian Metro reported.

They were accused of being members of the Captain Praba gang between December 2023 and September this year.

The charge under Section 130V(1) of the Penal Code is punishable by imprisonment of between five and 20 years upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Mustaffa P Kunyalam prosecuted while 10 of the accused had lawyers. Three of the men – Meganathan, Sangaranarayanan and Vijayakumar – were unrepresented.

The judge fixed Nov 10 for case mention.

No bail was granted. However, the accused were allowed to meet their family members for 10 minutes in the court’s holding cells.

The men, who were detained under the controversial Security Offences (Special Measures) Act, or Sosma, had arrived at the courthouse amid heavy police presence.

More than 20 policemen were on duty to escort them to court.