KEPALA BATAS – Penang police have busted the “Mawar Gang” after arresting four individuals including a Form 4 student in Bertam Perdana here, on September 28. The gang is believed to be involved in at least 16 house break-in cases.
Seberang Prai Utara (SPU) district police chief Mohd Radzi Ahmad said three suspects were nabbed at a house in the area at 3.40am.
“During the arrest, the three men had just broken into a house in the area.
“On September 30, police arrested the girlfriend of one of the suspects in Bedong, Kedah who is believed to be linked to the gang,” he told a press conference today.
He said that based on the initial investigation, the four individuals aged 16 to 37 were suspected to be involved in house break-ins and theft cases around SPU and Sg Petani, Kedah, since February last year.
Elaborating, he said the gang would observe the residential areas in the SPU district, especially Bertam Perdana, Perda Indah, Kubang Menerong and Tasek Gelugor, for several days to identify which homes were empty before breaking in through the back door.
Radzi said the gang lived in Sg Petani and would go to SPU to commit the crime. They would then keep the stolen items at the house of the 37-year-old gang leader.
“The female suspect would sell all the stolen jewellery at pawn shops. We believe that we have solved at least 16 cases in SPU, involving losses amounting to RM250,000,” he said.
Police also confiscated various branded bags, televisions, shoes, mobile phones, laptops, jewellery, foreign currency and cash worth tens of thousands of ringgit, and tools for carrying out the crime.
Radzi said all the suspects, who have previous drugs and criminal records, have been remanded until Oct 11 to assist in the investigation under Section 457 of the Penal Code. – Bernama, October 5, 2022