BUKIT MERTAJAM, Sept 15 — Police have crippled the ‘Mat Puling’ robbery, housebreaking and motorcycle theft gang, masterminded by a married couple, after nabbing nine people in Penang and Kedah, recently.

Seberang Perai Tengah district police chief, ACP Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abdul Hamid said a tip-off and intelligence work led to the arrest of two men, aged 27 and 37 years, and the 29-year-old wife of one of the two men, on September 9.

He said the two men were arrested in Kampung Selamat, Tasek Gelugor, near here, and the woman, in Taman Mahsuri, Padang Serai, Kedah.

“Following the arrests, two more men, both 21, were apprehended in Bukit Mertajam the next day,” he told a news conference, here, today.

“Police also seized cellphones, jewellery, laptops, electrical goods, various types of locks, three motorcycles and a motorcycle frame. We are looking for more motorcycle frames that had been thrown into several rivers,” he said.

Nik Ros Azhan said police also arrested four jewellery shop and pawnshop owners around Bukit Mertajam who bought jewellery from the gang and seized gold from smelted jewellery, as well as pawnshop chits.

He said the arrests solved at least 20 cases of robbery, housebreaking and motorcycle thefts in the district involving RM100,000 in losses.

According to him, the gang became active after a man who was known as Mat Puling, 27, was freed in March after serving two years in jail for a crime.

“Based on the preliminary police investigation, Mat Puling is also suspected to have robbed a Universiti Teknologi Mara(UiTM) Permatang Pauh female lecturer in a paddy field area in Jalan Kubang Semang, in August.

“The gang was active in Penang, Kedah and Perak, targeting the homes of the rich, those who had just taken out money from the banks and lone women motorists,” he said.

“The five individuals are being remanded until tomorrow to assist in the investigation under the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (POCA),” he said, adding that Mat Puling had 16 criminal records while his wife had a drug-related record.

Nik Ros Azhan said police also detained a man, 23, in Genting Highlands, Pahang on Sept 10, to facilitate the investigation into an assault case in Kampung Besar Berapit, here, on September 7.

“The man assaulted the victim because he suspected his wife was having an affair with the victim which almost resulted in the couple divorcing.”

He said the man, who was jobless, was being remanded until tomorrow to help in the investigation under Section 326 of the Penal Code.

In the incident, the victim, 25, a close friend of the suspect, sustained serious injuries after he was kicked, punched and struck with a piece of wood and metal by the suspect near a temple close to their homes. — Bernama