BALIK PULAU: Police arrested five people, including a couple, on Saturday on suspicion of being involved in cable theft around Penang. Barat Daya District police chief ACP Sazalee Adam said the couple, also suspected to be the masterminds, was nabbed in a hotel in Sungai Petani, Kedah, while the other three were arrested around the same area.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, efforts to track down the suspects, aged between 25 and 40, were initiated after police received reports from the public at about 4.20 am regarding a cable theft incident behind a petrol station in Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, Gelugor. A police patrol car unit (MPV) that arrived at the scene encountered two vehicles with suspects loading cables into them. Upon seeing the police, the suspects fled, leading to a high-speed chase. After three kilometers, one of the vehicles skidded in the middle of Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, but the suspects managed to escape towards Sungai Dua.

Sazalee Adam stated that upon inspecting the abandoned car, the po
lice discovered cable cutters, a steel hammer, a screwdriver, a mobile phone, a jacket, 60 segments of cables, and car keys. Acting on further information, a police team raided a house in Taman Berangan, Sungai Petani at about 9.30 pm, arresting one suspect. This was followed by the arrest of four more suspects, including the alleged mastermind couple.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the group had been active for the past year, targeting locations around the state and selling the stolen cables to fund drug purchases. All suspects tested positive for drugs and had prior records related to drugs and other crimes. They have been remanded under Section 379 of the Penal Code.

Sazalee also mentioned that police are actively searching for seven other individuals suspected to be linked to the group. He urged the public to provide any information by contacting the investigating officer, Inspector Muhammad Nazirul Azhar Abdul Mutalib, at 011-5414 3254.