PUTRAJAYA: The police have successfully dismantled a burglary syndicate targeting luxury homes in Precincts 11 and 14 here with the arrest of three foreign nationals.
Putrajaya police chief Asst Comm Aidi Sham Mohamed said the suspects, aged between 30 and 40, were arrested on Friday (Nov 28) at around 8.30pm while they were in the process of ransacking a house in Precinct 14.
"The suspects are believed to have been actively involved in at least nine house burglaries over the past three months in these areas," ACP Aidi Sham told a press conference on Sunday (Nov 30).
The arrests were part of Operation Pintu Putra, launched on Nov 22 following a rise in house burglaries targeting semi-detached houses and bungalows in Putrajaya.
One of the incidents involved a burglary at the home of a former government official in Precinct 11 on Nov 1.
During the raid, police saw two suspects entering the property, while the third was waiting in a Volkswagen Passat parked about 300 metres away.
A struggle occurred during the arrests, but all three were successfully detained. Authorities also seized two passports, while one suspect did not have a passport.
The car was registered to a Chinese national, and investigations with the Immigration Department are ongoing to check if the suspects have criminal records
ACP Aidi Sham said the suspects’ modus operandi was to conduct surveillance on the targeted homes, then break in between 8pm and 10pm when the residents were either away or out of town by cutting through the iron grilles to gain entry.
Police recovered several burglary tools, including a metal cutter, screwdriver, crowbar, and gloves.
They also seized cash, jewelry, luxury watches, and designer handbags, including items from Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Gucci, and Prada. The estimated losses from each burglary ranged from RM20,000 to RM50,000.
The suspects have been remanded for four days until Dec 2, and the cases will be investigated under Section 457 of the Penal Code for burglary.
This year, 26 house burglary cases have been reported in Putrajaya, compared to 17 last year, with most of the incidents involving apartment residences. – Bernama
