Kedah police cripple ‘Geng Fitri’ with seven arrests in a cable and vehicle theft ring spanning three northern states.
ALOR SETAR: Kedah police have crippled ‘Geng Fitri’, believed to have been actively involved in stealing utility cables, vehicles, vehicle components and diesel in Kedah, Penang and Perlis since early June.
Kedah police chief Datuk Adzli Abu Shah said the success followed a cable theft report in Taman Jati, Kuala Nerang on June 29, which led to the arrest of seven suspects in their 20s and 30s, including a woman, in several raids in Pendang and Sungai Petani.
“The group admitted to being involved in 12 criminal cases involving cable theft (4), car theft (1), vehicle component theft (3), diesel theft (2), container break-in (1) and car break-in (1) in Kedah, as well as one case each in Penang and Perlis involving cable theft,” he told reporters here today.
He said prior to the arrest, an MPV unit from the Padang Terap district police headquarters detected a white Isuzu D-Max four-wheel-drive vehicle believed to have been used in a cable theft in Kuala Nerang and pursued the suspects to Bedong before they escaped in an oil palm plantation.
“Acting on further intelligence, at about 5 pm on July 14, police tracked down the vehicle again in Kampung Titi Akar, Pendang. When officers attempted to stop it, the vehicle sped off before skidding, crashing into a barrier and plunging into a drain,” he said.
Adzli said five suspects were arrested at the scene, while two others were detained in follow-up raids in Sungai Petani.
He said checks revealed that six of the seven suspects had prior records involving property crimes and drug offences, while two were wanted by police for criminal and drug-related cases. Initial urine screening also found six suspects positive for methamphetamine.
Police also seized various items believed to have been used in criminal activities, including an Isuzu D-Max with tampered chassis and engine numbers, a Honda Civic FD, cable-cutting tools, safety vests, Telekom Malaysia manhole keys, a metal detector and a drilling machine.
Adzli said the group’s modus operandi involved moving in groups using stolen vehicles while posing as cable repair contractors by wearing safety vests and carrying specialised equipment to deceive the public.
He added that investigations are ongoing to track down eight gang members still at large, identify other cases linked to Geng Fitri, and trace individuals and premises suspected of involvement in the purchase, disposal or storage of stolen goods.
The case is being investigated under Sections 379A, 379, 431A and 186 of the Penal Code, as well as Section 235 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
