SEPANG, May 29 — Police crushed an auto theft gang with a pension for heavy machinery after raids in Dengkil and Kampung Sri Tanjung here.
Excavators and sand-carrying vehicles worth half a million ringgit were seized.
Last Friday, acting on intelligence gathered during surveillance and public tip-offs, a team from the Sepang district police headquarters stormed a storage facility in Dengkil.
They detained five members of the gang who were busy refurbishing three stolen Hitachi sand carriers.
Sepang district police chief Supt Mohd Yusof Awang said one of the vehicles was reported lost in Kajang last year.
“Also detained was the facility owner, later identified as the outfit’s mastermind.
“Checks revealed that the 37-year-old had five criminal records, including rape, theft and robbery,” he said.
Following information gained through interrogations, on Tuesday, another raid was held at a house in Kampung Sri Tanjung here.
Mohd Yusof said police found a 17-year-old boy with three JCB brand excavators parked alongside the road in front of the house.
“Turns out that the six of them have been actively stealing heavy machineries within Klang Valley since last year.
“After a few repairs, the sand carriers would be sold for over RM100,000 each, which is quite cheap as a new one would cost about RM200,000,” he said.
“The excavators, meanwhile, could fetch between RM80,000 to RM100,000 each.”
All suspects aged between 17 and 45 were remanded until tomorrow, and are expected to be charged under of the Penal Code for stealing vehicles.
