KAJANG - A gang of shoplifters not only had a penchant for stealing branded powdered milk but also had the audacity to go in and out of a supermarket several times, emptying an entire shelf in the baby products section.
However, the gang's shoplifting activities came to an abrupt end when police, alerted by the cashier, nabbed three men and a woman.
Kajang police chief Assistant Commissioner Ab Rashid Ab Wahab said the suspects, between the ages of 24 and 30, had previous convictions for theft. The three men also tested positive for drug abuse.
The incident occurred last Thursday when a cashier at the Speed Mart 99 supermarket in Batu 9, Cheras, noticed three men and two women entering the premises. The cashier recognised the five as they had previously shoplifted there.
"The cashier noticed two Proton Persona parked at the entrance of the outlet. She also spotted the two women stuffing powdered infant formula into their dresses," Ab Rashid said.
"Once the two women's dresses were filled with the loot, they left the shop and unloaded the infant formula into the two waiting vehicles before re-entering the premises.
"The cashier did not stop them as she had already sent a text message to the Batu 9 police station and knew that help was on the way."
The group continued their actions several times, thinking that the supermarket staff were oblivious to their comings and goings.
She also alerted the store manager about the group's activities and several minutes later saw that police had nabbed three men and a woman and seized one Proton Persona.
The other Proton Persona had fled the scene. Police also found an iron rod, 15 tins of branded infant formula and 30 tubes of toothpaste inside the car.
After questioning the suspects, a police team later raided a traditional Chinese medical hall along Jalan Kuchai Lama where they found 147 tins of various branded infant formula and 16 tubes of toothpaste. The raiding party arrested five men and two Indonesian women at the medical hall.
It was believed that the medical hall owner bought the stolen sundries before selling it at cheaper prices to customers.
In a follow-up operation early on Friday, police arrested two men, aged 20 and 30, in Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang. The two suspects were also believed to be members of the shoplifting gang.
The group, dubbed 'Gang Susu Kangkang', has been active since 2010 and normally struck at various supermarkets in the Kajang area," Ab Rashid said, adding all the suspects had been remanded to facilitate investigations.
It is learnt that the women were responsible for stealing while the men acted as lookouts. The women wore specially-made dresses which had numerous secret pockets.
The gang members were also unafraid at being confronted by supermarket staff as they had been known to turn violent. There had been previous reports of shop staff being beaten up or slashed with knives.
However, the gang's shoplifting activities came to an abrupt end when police, alerted by the cashier, nabbed three men and a woman.
Kajang police chief Assistant Commissioner Ab Rashid Ab Wahab said the suspects, between the ages of 24 and 30, had previous convictions for theft. The three men also tested positive for drug abuse.
The incident occurred last Thursday when a cashier at the Speed Mart 99 supermarket in Batu 9, Cheras, noticed three men and two women entering the premises. The cashier recognised the five as they had previously shoplifted there.
"The cashier noticed two Proton Persona parked at the entrance of the outlet. She also spotted the two women stuffing powdered infant formula into their dresses," Ab Rashid said.
"Once the two women's dresses were filled with the loot, they left the shop and unloaded the infant formula into the two waiting vehicles before re-entering the premises.
"The cashier did not stop them as she had already sent a text message to the Batu 9 police station and knew that help was on the way."
The group continued their actions several times, thinking that the supermarket staff were oblivious to their comings and goings.
She also alerted the store manager about the group's activities and several minutes later saw that police had nabbed three men and a woman and seized one Proton Persona.
The other Proton Persona had fled the scene. Police also found an iron rod, 15 tins of branded infant formula and 30 tubes of toothpaste inside the car.
After questioning the suspects, a police team later raided a traditional Chinese medical hall along Jalan Kuchai Lama where they found 147 tins of various branded infant formula and 16 tubes of toothpaste. The raiding party arrested five men and two Indonesian women at the medical hall.
It was believed that the medical hall owner bought the stolen sundries before selling it at cheaper prices to customers.
In a follow-up operation early on Friday, police arrested two men, aged 20 and 30, in Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang. The two suspects were also believed to be members of the shoplifting gang.
The group, dubbed 'Gang Susu Kangkang', has been active since 2010 and normally struck at various supermarkets in the Kajang area," Ab Rashid said, adding all the suspects had been remanded to facilitate investigations.
It is learnt that the women were responsible for stealing while the men acted as lookouts. The women wore specially-made dresses which had numerous secret pockets.
The gang members were also unafraid at being confronted by supermarket staff as they had been known to turn violent. There had been previous reports of shop staff being beaten up or slashed with knives.
