Police Bust Cable Theft Gang, Arrest Seven Men

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 15 (Bernama) -- Police have busted a cable theft gang with the arrest of seven men here and in Selangor on July 25.

Sentul district police chief ACP Ahmad Sukarno Mohd Zahari said the men comprised four locals and three foreign nationals, aged between 29 and 43.

He said the arrests were made after a police report was lodged on July 22 in connection with the theft of cables at a construction site in Jalan Segambut.

“Three of the suspects had past criminal records for various offences. The police also seized four cars, 10 handphones. six sacks of cable bundles, 35 rolls of cable wire as well as wire cutting equipment. The total value of the seizure is estimated at RM150,000.

"The group’s modus operandi was to target cables, copper and aluminum in construction sites and housing (areas), and these were then resold in scrap metal shops for money to buy drugs. The gang’s main members were four local men, led by a suspect called Putra,” he said in a press conference at the Sentul district police headquarters here today.

He said that the police are currently tracking another local suspect who is still at large to help in investigating the syndicate which has been active since June last year, and with the arrest of all the suspects, the police have solved 11 cases of cable theft in Kuala Lumpur.

In another development, an elderly man was arrested on Aug 7, at 9 pm, as he is believed to be involved in 10 cases of vehicle theft in Sentul, over the past few months.

He said police arrested a 61-year-old man in Jalan Ipoh, and confiscated various items from him such as mobile phones, laptops and clothes believed to have been used during the incident, with a total value of the seized items amounting to RM11,000.

“The suspect admitted to being involved in 10 cases of vehicle theft in Sentul. The man has been remanded till tomorrow for further investigation,” he added.

-- BERNAMA