KUALA LUMPUR: Police are on the lookout for a man known as Castelo, believed to be the mastermind behind a cable theft syndicate operating in the Sentul and Kepong areas over the past five months.
Sentul District Police Chief ACP Ahmad Sukarno Mohd Zahari said this follows the arrest of five individuals during operations in the Klang Valley on November 29 and 30, linked to a cable theft incident on Jalan Lang Kuning, Kepong.
“The 23-year-old suspect, with five prior criminal records, is suspected of leading the syndicate, which steals cables belonging to telecommunications companies before selling them to a scrap shop in Gombak for RM32 per kilogram after burning them.
“The syndicate operates between 4:30am and 6am, disguising themselves as maintenance workers to avoid detection,” he said during a press conference at the Sentul District Police Headquarters (IPD) on Friday (Dec 7).
Ahmad Sukarno added that the operations also led to the seizure of two cars, including one belonging to a suspect’s wife and another rented vehicle, as well as a lorry believed to have been stolen in Kajang. Additionally, various types of cables in different sizes were confiscated.
Police also seized a sack containing 840 kilograms of copper cables and several cable-cutting tools, with the total value of the confiscated items estimated at over RM150,000.
“Through investigations, we have solved three cable theft cases in the Sentul area. Checks revealed that all suspects, aged between 19 and 52, have prior criminal records,” he said.
Four out of the five suspects were charged at the Kuala Lumpur Magistrates' Court on Tuesday (Dec 3) under Section 379 of the Penal Code for theft and Section 414 of the Penal Code for disposing of stolen property.
“One suspect, however, has been released,” he added. - Bernama
