KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 — A four-wheel-drive vehicle carrying two men suspected of cable theft crashed into a house in Baling, Kedah, early today while fleeing police during a cross-state chase that began in Perak.

Gerik district police chief Superintendent Abdul Samad Othman said police received a tip-off from the public at about 9.25pm yesterday about suspected cable theft activity in Kampung Star Kecil, Kerunai.

A patrol car unit from the Pengkalan Hulu district police headquarters later spotted the suspects’ Mitsubishi Triton at about 11.38pm near the Taman 1Malaysia junction.

“The MPV unit then pursued the vehicle before being joined by officers from the Gerik district police headquarters who assisted in the operation,” he said in a statement today.

The suspects fled along Jalan Gerik-Kupang before entering the Baling area in Kedah.

During the chase, one of the suspects threw several objects — including cutting tools, nails and cables — at the pursuing police vehicle in an apparent attempt to obstruct the operation.

At about 12.30am, the suspects’ vehicle lost control and crashed into a house in Kampung Parit Panjang.

The homeowner, who lives with his mother and younger sister, was not injured in the incident. The suspects fled the scene immediately after the crash.

Police later recovered 20 rolls of telecommunications cable, a Realme mobile phone, three cable cutters and a crowbar inside the vehicle, believed to have been used in the theft.

Abdul Samad said the vehicle used by the suspects had been rented, and efforts are ongoing to locate the two men.

The case is being investigated under Section 379 of the Penal Code for theft and Section 186 for obstructing a public servant from carrying out his duties.