Kepong and Bukit Jalil: Police have arrested two local men and a woman on suspicion of committing mischief by fire and splashing paint targeting victims during a special operation in Kepong and Bukit Jalil on April 8 and 9.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan stated that the suspects, including a married couple aged 20 and 22, were apprehended following a report lodged by a 29-year-old man in Ampang on March 20. The man reported that his house was set on fire with a petrol bomb (Molotov cocktail).

Investigations revealed that the suspects were offered between RM1,000 and RM1,500 by loan sharks from Singapore through social media to commit these acts of mischief by fire. The suspects received payments ranging from RM600 to RM900 for each paint-splashing incident.

Datuk Hussein explained that the two male suspects also recruited others via Facebook and other platforms, offering RM500 to RM800 for jobs involving mischief by fire and RM300 to RM350 for splashing paint. The female suspect played a role in documenting the crimes by recording videos and taking photos, which were then sent to claim payment from those who had hired them.

The suspects were involved in a total of nine cases of mischief, with four occurring in Selangor, two in Perak, two in Johor, and one in Negeri Sembilan. All three suspects were found to have no prior criminal records, and their arrest has resolved four cases involving fire and paint-splashing in the areas of Ampang Jaya, Kajang, Serdang, and Kuala Langat.

Currently, the two male suspects remain under remand, while the female suspect has been released on bail. The case is being investigated under Section 436 of the Penal Code.