GEORGE TOWN: By day, they fixed cables to bring Internet connectivity to all.
But by night, using the same vehicle and equipment, the same group of men from Telekom Malaysia were stealing cables off the ground.
A total 242 rods of telecommunication cable illegally cut and stolen from the ground have been recovered following arrest of eight men working with TM.
The cables, each measuring about 4 metres long and 5cm in diameter and containing hundreds of strands of finer cables, were found with their ends cut and loaded on trucks at about 6am on Tuesday (Dec 17).
George Town OCPD Asst Comm Abdul Rozak Muhammad said the seizure of the stolen cables worth about RM100,000 is among the largest recorded in Penang.
"Police on patrol had spotted the group of individuals cutting the cable by the road in Tanjung Bungah during the wee hours.
"The men had identified themselves as staff from TM.
"However, checks found that no permission has been issued for the work being done," he told reporters at the northeast district police headquarters in Jalan Patani.
ACP Abdul Razak said the men aged 31 and 42 were then arrested.
"Two of them were staff from TM while six others were sub-contractors.
"Checks found four of them with past drug records. 4 of them have past drug records.
"They were pretending to be working as officials and we believe such modus operandi as part of a syndicate was not their first time," he added.
The suspects have been remanded for three days under Section 379 of the Penal Code for theft to facilitate investigations.
Two lorries as well as a pickup truck and van bearing the TM logo were also seized.
Telekom Malaysia said they would fully cooperate with authorities in their probe.
"As the matter is still ongoing, we are unable to comment further at this time.
"TM has zero tolerance for any misconduct and will not hesitate to take firm and appropriate action based on the investigation findings," it said in a statement on Tuesday.
The company also called on the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activities they notice immediately by either calling 999 or visiting the nearest police station.
