TEMERLOH: Police have arrested 17 men suspected of belonging to four gangs linked to robberies and cable theft involving the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project and Telekom Malaysia in Temerloh.
Temerloh district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Nasyim Bahron identified the gangs as Geng Ravi, Geng Kepala, Geng Dany and Geng Mista.
The arrests were made in several operations from Oct 12 by the Temerloh district police Criminal Investigation Division and the Mentakab police crime prevention task force.
Twelve of the suspects tested positive for methamphetamine, while one had 15 previous criminal and drug-related offences, he said in a statement.
Mohd Nasyim said two robberies at ECRL cable storage facilities and five Telekom Malaysia cable thefts were reported in Temerloh, Mentakab and Lanchang between September and October, with losses estimated at RM75,000.
The first operation, conducted from Oct 12 to 15, led to the arrest of five men aged between 20 and 60 in Mentakab, believed to be members of Geng Ravi. Police seized a one-tonne Mitsubishi lorry and several cut metal pole sections. Two other suspects remain at large.
On Oct 14, seven men aged between 30 and 45 were arrested in Kuala Krau and Mentakab in an operation targeting Geng Kepala. Items seized included two four-wheel-drive vehicles, several coils marked "ECRL Property", five cut sections of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) cable and cable-processing equipment.
On Oct 18, a 28-year-old man believed to be a member of Geng Dany was arrested in Mentakab. He was with a Perodua Myvi, several coils of cable believed to belong to Telekom Malaysia and cable-cutting tools.
The suspect had 15 previous criminal and drug-related offences, and investigations found that the gang had also been active in stealing Telekom Malaysia cables in Kuala Lumpur.
In an operation early today, four men aged between 22 and 31, believed to be members of Geng Mista, were arrested in Bukit Desa Semantan. Police seized a Mitsubishi Triton, several coils of cable, 27 cut sections believed to belong to Telekom Malaysia, and equipment used to pull and cut cables.
All four suspects had previous criminal and drug-related records and tested positive for methamphetamine. The gang's leader was also identified as a member of Geng Kepala, which was busted on Oct 14, while another suspect remains at large.
All suspects have been remanded under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code to assist investigations under Sections 395, 379 and 431A of the Penal Code, and Section 235(2) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
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