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PETALING JAYA – Five months after serving their prison sentences, a group of three men were re-arrested by police for break-ins and thefts around Petaling Jaya, Serdang, and Ampang.
Petaling Jaya district police chief Mohamad Fakhrudin Abdul Hamid said the men, all locals aged between 39 and 59, were arrested in Pudu and Setapak on January 4 as a result of intelligence and public information.
He said the raids were carried out after police received a report from a 56-year-old man who reported suffering losses totalling RM50,000 when his house was burgled on December 25.
Fakhrudin said the ex-convicts’ modus operandi was to target unoccupied homes, and break in between 11am and 3pm when the residents are out at work.
“The suspects would throw stones or ring the bell to make sure nobody is in the house before breaking in,” he said at a press conference held at the Petaling Jaya police district headquarters here today.
Fakhrudin said the group was believed to have been active since about two months ago.
He said they had just finished serving their sentences under the Prevention of Crime Act in July 2021 and had previous criminal records for drug, burglary, and theft cases.
“With the arrests, we believe we have managed to solve five burglary cases reported in 2021, with two cases in Petaling Jaya, two in Serdang, and one in Ampang,” he said, adding that all of them have been remanded for 10 days until Friday for further investigations.
He added that police also confiscated a car believed to be stolen and used by the group. Police found several burglary tools, jewellery, pawn shop receipts, and electronic items. – Bernama, January 12, 2022
