Car theft syndicate busted with five arrests

ISKANDAR PUTERI: Five men were arrested by police for their involvement in a car theft syndicate here.

Iskandar Puteri OCPD Asst Comm Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said that the suspects were arrested following a police report made by an 80-year-old man whose car had been stolen.

"The police report was lodged back in August 2020, informing that his car was missing at about 9.30pm in front of his house at Jalan Silat Harimau 7, Bandar Selesa Jaya, Skudai.

"Following the report, on Jan 20 2022, a team of police from Iskandar Puteri Criminal Investigation Department (CID) conducted three raids in Nusa Bestari, Mutiara Rini and Taman Ungku Tun Aminah at 7.50pm.

"The team has managed to arrest five men aged between 18 and 61 and confiscate various items," he said in a statement here on Sunday (Jan 23).

He added that four of the suspects have prior records involving drugs and criminal activities.

"Initial investigations revealed that the group has been active since June 2020.

"With the arrest, we have managed to solve 10 cases of car theft in Iskandar Puteri and Johor Baru North," he said, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 379A of the Penal Code for vehicle theft.

Some of the confiscated items include three mobile phones, two vehicle frames with a stolen record and one motorcycle frame, also with a stolen record.