Saturday October 23, 2010
Copper theft ring busted
JOHOR BARU: police have busted a syndicate believed to be involved in more than 37 cases of cargo robberies including the robbery of 19 tonnes of copper worth more than RM800,000. Johor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said that 14 suspects, including a factory manager, all in their 30s, were arrested in a series of raids at Ulu Tiram and Kulaijaya. “On Oct 11, at around 12.10pm a trailer carrying 19 tonnes of copper from a factory heading to Taman Desa Cemerlang here was intercepted by a car driven by the suspects at Jalan Keluli in Pasir Gudang.
Hot metal: Investigating officer ASP Mohamad Md Shah showing the stolen copper recovered from the Pasir Gudang industrial zone yesterday. — Bernama
“The suspects tied the driver up, forced him into their car and headed towards Nusajaya while the trailer driven by another suspect also headed in the same direction,” he told to reporters yesterday. DCP Mohd Mokhtar added that the suspects then left the driver, who sustained injuries on his face and body by the side of the road at Lima Kedai in Gelang Patah here.
He said that a taskforce was formed to arrest the suspects and to recover the stolen items. Police arrested one suspect at Taman Senai Utama here on Oct 12 and raided a premise at Ulu Tiram and arrested a factory manager. “We also recovered the stolen copper worth RM800,000,” he said adding that one of the suspects was also involved in an armed robbery in Kulaijaya.
DCP Mohd Mokhtar said police arrested three more suspects and initial investigations led to the suspects admitting involvement in six similar cases in Kulaijaya, Kluang, and Batu Pahat. He added the police believe that the stolen items were to be exported and the suspects have been remanded to help in the investigations. “The police are also looking for five other suspects that will help us with in the investigations,” he said adding that anyone with information should contact the police hotline at 07-2212999 or visit the nearest police station.
