SHAH ALAM, March 2 — Police took down a cable theft syndicate with the arrests of nine people, including three women believed to be masterminds of the ring, on February 23 and 26 during Op Kabel Viral.
Selangor police chief Datuk Shazeli Kahar said the six men and three women, aged 19 to 44, were nabbed in raids in Dengkil, Sungai Petani (Kedah), and Ipoh (Perak).
“An investigation revealed that most of the suspects have prior criminal records including theft, robbery and drugs, while two of them are wanted by police,” he said in a statement today.
He added that urine tests revealed seven of the suspects to be positive for amphetamines, methamphetamine, and THC.
Shazli said the modus operandi of the syndicate, which has been active since last year, was to disguise themselves with vests and shirts bearing the Telekom Malaysia (TM) logo and hats with safety lights to deceive enforcers.
Police also seized a BMW, Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Canter, as well as 12 cables and 20 cable casing units believed to belong to TM, as well as cable cutters and rods to open manhole covers.
The case is being investigated under Sections 379 and 414 of the Penal Code and the suspects are expected to be charged tomorrow.
In a separate development, Shazeli said the four men arrested for stealing a surau money box in Section 7 here will be charged tomorrow under Section 380 of the Penal Code.
The case had received the attention of Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, who voiced concern over criminal acts involving houses of worship and urged strict action.
Shazli advised mosque and surau committees to ensure their CCTV cameras are functional.
