ALOR SETAR: Police have crippled the ‘Alavandan Gang ’ suspected of being involved in the hijack of a trailer loaded with 60 copper blocks worth RM300,000 in Bukit Chong, Sungai Karangan near here on Nov 15.
Kulim police chief, Supt Azhar Hashim said in the incident at 1.24 pm, the driver and attendant aged 35 and 44 were transporting the copper blocks weighing 18 tonnes from Bukit Selambau to Sungai Karangan.
“Upon arrival at the incident location, their trailer was blocked by a white van with four men in the vicinity of Bukit Chong. All the men wearing caps and jackets like Customs enforcement officers took the trailer driver and attendant into the white van while the trailer was left by the roadside.
“Two hours later, the two victims were left by the roadside and when they returned to the location, the trailer was missing. They lodged a police report at Sungai Karangan station on the same day,” he said in a statement today.
Azhar said upon questioning, the trailer driver, attendant and a factory supervisor were found giving conflicting statements before police proceeded to arrest the three men.
“ From their investigations, police conducted several raids in Sungai Petani and Kulim in the state as well as in Bukit Mertajam and Butterworth in Penang from Nov 16 to yesterday and apprehended 12 more men aged between 21 and 62 including the leader of the gang for being involved in the organised crime.
“Further investigations found the heist was planned by two suspects aged 39 and 62. All the copper blocks which were sold for RM100,00 to a factory in Kulim, were recovered,” he added.
He said among the items confiscated included a trailer, two lorries, two forklifts, a motorcycle and RM97,000 in cash in which RM3,000 was used to pay for lorry rental.
“We are tracking down two more suspects in the incident while the suspects were held under Section 395 of the Penal Code,” he said. — Bernama
