Four from 'Gang Apil' detained for house break-ins, vehicle thefts

KAJANG: Four individuals were detained in connection with several house break-ins and vehicle thefts in several states.

Police also recovered eight stolen vehicles including a Range Rover, Toyota Alphard, Honda Civic and Toyota Camry.

Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Zaid Hassan said the suspects - three men and a woman - were detained in several locations in the district on Dec 6.

"We believe they were part of the robbery gang, named 'Gang Apil'.

"The mastermind is a 39-year-old man. The woman detained is his 45-year-old wife.

"We believe she is also part of the gang," he told a press conference on Tuesday (Dec 21).

ACP Mohd Zaid said besides Kajang, the gang is also believed to be responsible for house break-ins and vehicle thefts in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Kuala Lumpur.

"We also seized several car keys, mobile phones, laptops and tools for robberies from the suspects.

"They have been remanded until Friday (Dec 24) for further investigation," he added.

The gang has been active for almost two years and they target mostly luxury homes, ACP Mohd Zaid said.

"The mastermind has 22 priors for drug offences and other crimes, he added.

"We will investigate to uncover other members of the gang, including those in cahoots with them," he said.

In an unrelated case, a 26-year-old man was detained following a spate of robberies at eight convenience stores in the district.

ACP Mohd Zaid said the suspect was detained in Bandar Baru Bangi on Dec 13.

"We also recovered several stolen items from a house in Taman Sri Melor, Kajang, including RM206 in cash and mobile phones.

"We believe the suspect is responsible for eight robbery cases in the district," he said.

The suspect's modus operandi is to hold convenience store's cashiers at knifepoint.

"He would be armed with a machete. Once he threatened the cashier, he would demand cash and cigarettes before fleeing on a motorcycle," he added.

The suspect has been remanded until Dec 25, ACP Mohd Zaid said.

He also urged those with information on any crime cases to contact the nearest police station.