JOHOR BARU: Police have arrested three suspected members of a vehicle theft ring in raids in Bandar Penawar, Kota Tinggi and the city centre here.
Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat said the raids followed a motorcycle theft report on Wednesday (Jan 22).
He said the motorcycle was reported stolen near Jalan Lingkaran Dalam.
"At 1am on Thursday (Jan 23), a team from the D4 Criminal Investigation Department conducted four raids.
“These operations led to the arrest of three male suspects aged between 32 and 41 at separate locations in Bandar Penawar, Kota Tinggi, and Johor Baru,” he told a press conference at district police headquarters here on Monday (Jan 27).
He added that several items were also seized, including two motorcycles and a lorry that had been reported missing.
Background checks revealed that the first suspect had 13 priors on his record, the second 26, and the third six, all for criminal and drug offences, he said.
All three suspects also tested positive for amphetamine, he added.
ACP Raub said their alleged modus operandi was stealing motorcycles and lorries in the Johor Baru area and reselling them to third parties at lower prices.
The suspects have been remanded to assist in investigations under Section 379A of the Penal Code for motor vehicle theft and interrogations are ongoing to determine any other criminal involvement, he added.
They are also being investigated under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for drug use, he said.
