GEORGE TOWN: Penang police busted a cross-state vehicle theft gang after arresting nine men and seizing 11 vehicles worth RM150,000 in a series of raids in the state and Kedah recently.
Penang deputy police chief Datuk Fisol Salleh said the gang, which had been active in stealing old vehicles since January, has been busted as a result of intelligence and surveillance through Op Lejang Mutiara which began on April 2.
“On April 2, police arrested two men at the Kubang Semang exit on the Butterworth Kulim Highway, Bukit Mertajam near here at 6 pm and seized a stolen lorry they were driving.
“On April 7, police raided several rented houses in Bedong, Kedah, at 2 pm before detaining five more men there,” he told a press conference here today.
He said police then arrested two more men in a raid in Kuala Ketil, Kedah at noon on April 8, making up a total of nine suspects aged 31 to 40 years.
Fisol said following their arrest, police seized three lorries, three cars (Proton Saga, Waja, Nissan Xtrail), five motorcycles and a dismantled car engine which were all reported stolen since the beginning of this year.
The modus operandi was to steal old vehicles with a master key and mechanics in the gang would dismantle the stolen vehicles and tamper with the chassis number, he said, adding that based on investigations, the gang then sold the spare parts for a profit of thousands of ringgit every month.
Following their arrest, police also seized two fake pistols and a pair of iron handcuffs and keys, seven mobile phones and six key rings for various types of vehicles.
“Police are still investigating if the fake pistols and handcuffs were used to intimidate victims or to disguise as a police officer to commit theft,“ he said.
He added that as a result of the arrests, police believe they had solved 18 cases of theft of old vehicles involving 13 cases in Penang with the rest in Perak and Kedah.
“All those arrested had two to 12 previous records related to crime and drugs, with four tested positive for drugs and are now remanded for further investigation under Section 379A (1) of the Penal Code,“ he said.
He said police were now tracking down another gang member known as M. Sanjev, 26, and anyone with information could contact Sergeant Maxweel Gibson at 0148788361. — Bernama