Police nab man for theft of RM1.2mil TM electronic chips

KUANTAN: Police have apprehended an individual believed to have stolen 451 computer chips belonging to Telekom Malaysia (TM) Berhad.

The alleged crime occurred across seven districts in Pahang, resulting in a substantial financial loss exceeding RM1.2mil.

Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said the 35-year-old suspect was picked up at Mentakab, Temerloh, at 2.30pm on Jan 30 and is believed to be involved in 29 such cases reported between Dec 2023 and last month.

"The suspect works with a sub-contractor maintenance company appointed by TM in Pahang Barat. He is believed to have operated alone, and the stolen chips were sold to scrapyards for RM30 per kg.

"His modus operandi is to unlock the TM telco roadside cabinets with his duplicate key and steal some of the electronic chips," he said during a press conference at the Pahang Police contingent headquarters on Tuesday (Feb 6).

Yahaya said 54 electronic chips, a car, a life jacket, two mobile phones, and 12 receipts for purchasing goods from the suspect's house and a scrapyard were seized.

The suspect, who has a history of seven prior criminal records, including cases related to drugs, has been remanded until Feb 8.

Police believe his arrest solved 29 TM electronic chip theft cases in Lipis, Raub, Bentong, Jerantut, Maran, Bera, and Kuantan, which have caused residents to experience disruptions to telephone lines and internet connections.

In a separate case, Yahaya reported the arrest of six individuals, aged 25 to 51, including a woman, on Feb 4, suspected of trafficking syabu, heroin and yaba pills, with an estimated value of RM543,559.

Yahaya said during a raid in Tanjung Lumpur, police seized 10.41kg of syabu and 3249.9gm of yaba pills, worth RM438,429, as well as jewellery worth RM13,190 and RM888 in cash.

While 12.66kg of heroin valued at RM105,130 was seized in another raid in Indera Mahkota, with all the suspects in remand until Feb 11, he added. – Bernama