POLICE CRIPPLE CABLE-THIEVING 'BAIM GANG' IN TERENGGANU

KUALA TERENGGANU, Oct 28 (Bernama) -- Police brought to a halt the seven-month reign of the Baim Gang, active in stealing telecommunications cables in the state, after arresting one of its members, while three remain at large.

Terengganu police chief Datuk Mohd Khairi Khairudin said the 42-year-old male suspect was arrested at about 5.40 am last Friday during Op Lusuh on Jalan Durian Mentangau-Citrus in Dungun.

He said that while conducting operations, police personnel encountered the suspect and three other members of the gang behaving suspiciously in a four-wheel-drive vehicle they were travelling in.

“Police found that the trunk of the Mitsubishi Triton, which had a fake registration number, was filled with black objects believed to be cut cables.

“Upon realising police presence, the suspects sped off and entered a road near a forest. They suddenly stopped the vehicle before all four fled into the forest,” he told a press conference after disposing of the Criminal Investigation Department’s case goods at the Terengganu Police Contingent Headquarters today.

Mohd Khairi said preliminary investigations revealed the arrested suspect, a labourer with seven prior criminal records and 14 drug cases, tested positive for methamphetamine.

“Three other suspects, aged 29 to 35, have also been identified and are believed to be in Dungun. This gang is believed to have been active since April,” he said.

He said the arrested suspect is under a four-day remand from Saturday and the case is being investigated under Section 379 of the Penal Code.

In another development, Mohd Khairi said 1,272 criminal cases were recorded from January to September this year, an increase of 24.6 per cent from 1,021 cases during the same period in 2023.

“We have resolved 974 cases, achieving a 76.57 per cent clearance rate, surpassing the Key Performance Indicator set by Bukit Aman,” he said.

-- BERNAMA