KUALA LUMPUR: Eight cloned vehicles worth around RM1.1mil were seized following a major police operation in six states.
A total of 10 men and two women, all locals, were detained in the operation spearheaded by Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Intelligence/Operations/Records division (D4) from March 12 to 15.
CID director Comm Datuk M. Kumar said those detained are aged between 33 and 60, comprising eight buyers, two middlemen, a secondhand car dealer and a man wanted by Singaporean authorities.
The Singaporean suspect has been handed over to the city-state.
“The raids were conducted in Kedah, Kelantan, Johor, Negri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.
“We started gathering intelligence for about five months before conducting the operation codenamed Ops Lejang Mewah Klon,” Comm Kumar told a press conference yesterday.
Eight of the seized vehicles were cloned, while four others were reported stolen in Singapore.
“Among the vehicles seized were three Toyota Vellfire, two Toyota Estima and a Toyota Camry,” he added.
The syndicate used various tactics to evade detection, including modifying the chassis numbers of vehicles, which were stolen and reported as total loss in accidents, Comm Kumar said.
“All eight vehicles have Road Transport Department (JPJ) vehicle grants and passed Puspakom inspections.
“When we checked further, we discovered the engine and chassis numbers had been tampered with and modified.”
The vehicles were sold directly to buyers through a middleman or secondhand dealers, he added.
“The cloned vehicles would be sold much cheaper than the market price, around 50% and 60% lower.
“For example, a 2023 Vellfire was sold for RM100,000. The transactions would involve cash,” he said, adding that social media was also used to promote the cloned vehicles.
Comm Kumar advised owners to notify JPJ if their vehicles were declared as total loss to prevent the vehicle identification from being used by cloned vehicle syndicates.
“We are also investigating if there is involvement of inside men, but for now, it’s too premature to say. We will ask JPJ and Puspakom to assist as well.”
Comm Kumar said the investigation is still at an early stage as the CID aims to uncover the syndicate members, including the mastermind.
Among the top officers present at the press conference were deputy CID director Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Sukri Kaman and D4 principal assistant director Senior Asst Comm Noor Dellhan Yahaya.
