Padang besar: Four men, including a civil servant, were arrested for allegedly staging the disappearance of a Toyota Vellfire to facilitate an insurance claim following financial problems faced by one of them. Padang Besar police chief ACP Mohd Shokri Abdullah reported that the suspects, aged between 32 and 45, were arrested during raids at three locations in the Padang Besar and Arau districts at approximately 5.15 pm yesterday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the main suspect, a 42-year-old civil servant in Perlis, traveled to Kuala Lumpur on July 16, ostensibly to attend a course, using his wife's black Toyota Vellfire. On July 17, at about 8 am, the suspect filed a police report claiming that the vehicle had gone missing in Sungai Besi.

Investigations revealed that the reported loss was believed to have been orchestrated by the main suspect and his 45-year-old brother to facilitate an insurance claim. The vehicle was allegedly taken to a workshop in Kaki Bukit, Padang Besar, to be dismantled, with valuable components collected for sale.

Two additional men, both aged 32, were also suspected of assisting in the scheme. All four suspects are currently detained to assist in the investigation and have been taken to the Cheras District Police Headquarters (IPD) in Selangor for remand proceedings.

The case is being investigated under Section 379A of the Penal Code for the theft of a motor vehicle or any of its component parts, which carries a jail term of between one and seven years and a fine upon conviction. Police emphasize the seriousness of misusing police reports for personal profit, as such actions compromise investigations and waste enforcement resources.