The loot: ACP Cha showing the recovered stolen items at the South Klang police headquarters.
KLANG: An ex-detainee went back to committing crime barely four months after his release from a Prevention of Crime Act (Poca) detention order.
Checks showed that the suspect, in his 40s, had 55 prior records for crime and drug-related offences.
Upon his release from Poca in January, he immediately formed a gang specialising in break-ins.
The gang has been linked to 14 cases in Klang and Shah Alam.
South Klang OCPD Asst Comm Cha Hoong Fong said police were initially alerted at 8.40am on March 26 after a hardware shop owner lodged a report about a break-in.
“He claimed that CCTV footage showed four men had broken into his shop through a side door at around 4am that day.
“They fled with equipment and tools worth over RM20,000,” he told reporters yesterday.
ACP Cha said investigations led police to launch a series of raids on March 30 around Jalan Kapar, Taman Sentosa and Taman Selatan where five suspects, aged between 37 and 44, were arrested.
All the suspects have records for crime and drug offences.
“The mastermind has just been released from Poca,” he said, adding that the suspect was believed to have recruited several gang members shortly after his release.
He said police seized a number of tools and three cars.
“Checks showed the seized Proton Wira and Proton Waja have been reported stolen in Klang.
“We believe the suspects were involved in at least nine cases in South Klang, four in North Klang and one in Shah Alam,” he said.
