IPOH: Police have arrested four men suspected of stealing telecommunications cables in two separate incidents in Kampar and Kuala Kangsar.
Perak police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin said both incidents took place on Friday (Sept 4) before dawn.
In the incident in Kampar, a team of police task force from the Malim Nawar station was on patrol when they saw two men behaving suspiciously near the Muniswarar Bata Temple at about 4.30am.
"A check on the two men, aged 42 and 46, found two cable cutters and a roll of cables, believed to be related to stolen cable activities," he said in a statement late on Friday night.
"The cables have been identified by Telekom Malaysia Bhd technicians to be theirs but were no longer functional," he said, adding that the losses were about RM1,000.
In the incident in Kuala Kangsar, Comm Mohd Alwi said police received a tip-off at about 3am about two suspicious-looking cars in Taman Sri Pagi in Kati.
"Acting on the information, the police arrested two men, aged 24 and 36, at Jalan Raja Chulan.
"Checks conducted found cable cutters, a cable-pulling tool, three rolls of cables, a sling bag, a mobile phone and several other pieces of equipment believed to be used for stealing cables," he said.
Comm Mohd Alwi said all four men have been involved in various criminal cases, including drugs.
He said both cases would be investigated under Section 379 of the Penal Code.
"We are investigating whether the suspects are involved in related cases in the districts," he said.
Comm Mohd Alwi said cable thefts are a serious matter, which not only cause losses to the telecommunications company, but could also potentially disrupt services to the community.
"We appreciate the cooperation of the public for giving us information, and we urge them to immediately report to us on such incidents.
"We will enhance our enforcement operations continuously to ensure these illegal activities can be deterred," he added.
