PETALING JAYA, Sept 26 — Four policemen were among 13 individuals who were detained on suspicion of their involvement in a syndicate that stole telecommunication cables belonging to Telekom Malaysia (TM) at TM’s main exchange centre here.
Petaling Jaya police chief ACP Mohd Fakhrudin Hamid said the four policemen from the multipurpose vehicle patrol unit of the Petaling Jaya police headquarters were detained at 11.30pm on Sept 19.
Mohd Fakhrudin said police had earlier received a report from TM stating that telecommunication equipment and data at the location of the theft, was not functioning due to two large underground cables that stretched for about 40 metres and worth about RM100,000 being severed and stolen.
“Acting on the report, a police team from the Petaling Jaya D4 Crime Investigation Department and a Task Force from the Petaling Jaya police headquarters managed to detain the four policemen for assisting the syndicate.
“Following the arrest of the four policemen, nine others were detained, including foreigners, aged between 20 and 40, at five different locations in the Klang Valley, the next day,” he said in a press conference, here today.
He added that during the raids, police also seized two multi-purpose vehicles, three cars and a a lorry as well as 11 handphones.
“Also seized were a sack of copper wires weighing 1.2 tonnes, a record book with details of sales and receipt, vests with reflectors and a crowbar,” he said.
Initial investigations revealed that the syndicate was actively involved in cable theft in the district while the four policemen are believed to have assisted the syndicate in their criminal activities for a specific payment.
He added that the four policemen who have been in service with the police force for between seven and 15 years, have been suspended from their duties and if they are proven to have been involved, they will be charged in court.
“The nine suspects who also had previous criminal records would be remanded for six days to assist in investigations under Section 431A of the Penal Code. The suspects have so far admitted to have been involved in two cable thefts in Petaling Jaya,” he said.
Fakhrudin said police were still tracking down two more suspects who are still at large and urged members of the public with information about their whereabouts to contact the Petaling Jaya police operation room at 03-7966 2222.
— Bernama
