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A BURGLARY and vehicle theft ring known as *Geng Richi*, led by a 21-year-old local man, has been successfully dismantled following a series of police raids conducted across Johor between 21 and 28 September.
Deputy Johor Police Chief, Deputy Commissioner Abdul Latiff Mehat, said nine individuals — seven men and two women aged between 21 and 37 — were arrested for their suspected involvement in multiple break-ins and vehicle thefts.
“Preliminary investigations reveal the mastermind was responsible for selecting which houses or shops the gang would target,” he said during a press conference at the Johor Contingent Police Headquarters today.
According to Abdul Latiff, the group operated by first breaking into homes or commercial premises and then stealing a vehicle, which they would later use to carry out similar crimes at other locations.
“Their targets included village homes and premises with vulnerable access points,” he said. “The preferred vehicles were models such as the Proton Wira, Proton Satria and Perodua Kancil, which lack modern security features.”
The syndicate is believed to have been active since 2022 across several districts including Johor Bahru, Seri Alam, Kulai, Pontian, Kluang and Batu Pahat.
“Eight out of the nine suspects had previously served prison time for similar offences, but they seemed undeterred, almost treating crime as a profession or source of income,” Abdul Latiff noted.
With the arrests, police have solved 32 cases — comprising 15 shop break-ins, eight residential burglaries and nine vehicle thefts — with estimated losses exceeding RM100,000.
“The breakdown of cases includes one in Johor Bahru, six in Iskandar Puteri, nine in Seri Alam, four in Kulai, three each in Batu Pahat and Pontian, five in Kluang, and one in Muar,” he said. “We are also investigating their possible involvement in two additional cases in Kemaman, Terengganu.”
A total of 32 investigation papers have been submitted to the Deputy Public Prosecutor’s Office, with 18 of them already receiving instructions to charge.
Abdul Latiff confirmed that the suspects face multiple charges under various sections of the Penal Code, including:
“Eight charges under Section 457 for housebreaking, seven under Section 379A/411 for vehicle theft or dishonestly receiving stolen property, two under Section 411, and one under Section 448 for house trespass,” he said.
“One suspect has already been charged at the Kluang Magistrates’ Court, while five more are set to be charged today in Johor Bahru, Kulai and Batu Pahat.” - October 22, 2025