12 ARRESTED AS MELAKA POLICE DISMANTLE GANGS BEHIND THEFTS AND BREAK-INS

MELAKA, Oct 2 (Bernama) -- Melaka police have crippled three gangs involved in vehicle theft, house break-ins and mosque and surau fund theft, with the arrest of 12 individuals, including two teenagers, during operations codenamed Op Pintu/Op Lejang Khas 2025, conducted between Sept 22 and 28.

State police chief Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said the gangs were identified as the Ah Tee Gang, led by three men specialising in motorcycle and old vehicle theft, and the Ah Soon Pekong Gang, also comprising three men, active in house break-ins and motorcycle theft.

He said the third gang, Abang Wan Gang, comprised a husband and wife along with two schoolboys, aged 13 and 15, who were active in breaking into surau and stealing mosque funds, as well as motorcycle theft.

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“All gang members, aged between 13 and 46, were arrested in three separate raids around the Melaka Tengah district, during Op Pintu/Op Lejang Khas 2025, at the end of September.

“Preliminary investigations found that all suspects were unemployed, except for two school-going teenagers, while nine of them tested positive for methamphetamine during their arrest,” he said in a statement, today.

He said that the gangs operated in groups, targeting unoccupied houses, mosques, surau and abandoned vehicles in secluded areas.

“With their arrest, police believe at least 25 cases of housebreaking and vehicle theft reported in Melaka have been solved, although the total value of losses is still being assessed,” he said.

Dzulkhairi said that police also seized several items of evidence, including four cars, six motorcycles, five mobile phones, a machete and various housebreaking and vehicle theft tools, to assist in the investigation.

He added that during Op Pintu/Op Lejang Khas 2025, which focused on preventing and curbing property crimes statewide, police inspected 314 premises, 179 individuals and 130 vehicles.

-- BERNAMA