GOMBAK, 2 May 2020:
The police have thwarted gas tank thefts around Gombak, with the arrest of five gang members yesterday.
Gombak district police chief ACP Arifai Tarawe said all detained were between 26 and 40 years old; and the group had targeted laundry outlets, child care centres and restaurants.
He said the arrest were made following a police report over the loss of 20 gas tanks in a burglary, at a restaurant in Taman Industri Bolton, here, at 8am on Thursday.
“Based on CCTV footage at the location, three men were seen loading some gas tanks into a Nissan Vanette van before escaping.
“We mounted an operation and managed to hunt down three men on the same day the report was lodged. Following that, two other suspects were detained at Selayang Baru yesterday.”
Arifai said police also seized 36 gas tanks, believed to be stolen and waiting to be sold.
“We believe we will be able to solve 14 burglary cases, involving laundry shops, child care centres and restaurants, related to this group’s activities.”
The suspects are on a five-day remand from yesterday and case is being investigated under Section 457 of the Penal Code for house-breaking.
In LUMUT, two policemen were injured while arresting a 28-year-old burglary suspect in Taman Setia, Sitiawan yesterday.
Manjung district police chief ACP Nor Omar Sappi said one personnel broke his right index finger while the other sustained bruises to his head and feet in the 8.45pm incident.
He said the policemen were patrolling the area under the Movement Control Order (MCO) when they came across the suspect who was riding a motorcycle.
“The suspect tried to speed away but his motorcycle skidded. When the personnel tried to detain him, the suspect acted aggressively by swinging his helmet at them.
“He was arrested after 15 minutes of struggle and brought to the Manjung district police headquarters,” he said in a statement today.
Nor Omar said several packets of drugs, a motorcycle, machete, and a mobile phone were also seized during the arrest, and the suspect who tested positive for methamphetamine was currently under remand for seven days.
May 8 update:
Two men were each fined RM3,000 or six months jail by the Selayang magistrate’s court for stealing 20 tanks of gas from a restaurant and breaching phase four of the MCO.
Magistrate Nur Hafizah Rajuni meted out the sentence on fruit trader Sarmanefendi Yunaidi, 27, and food shop employee Muhammad Syifa’a Salahudin, 29, after they pleaded guilty to both charges.
For stealing the gas tanks, they were each fined RM2,000 or three months jail and fined RM1,000 or three months jail for violating the MCO.
They were jointly accused of stealing 20 tanks of gas worth RM1,200 from Restoran Sin Kee at Jalan SG 1/10 Taman Perindustrian Bolton, Gombak here at 8.30am on April 30 under the Penal Code.
– Bernama