ELEVEN Indonesian nationals have been remanded for seven days to assist police investigations into a string of armed robberies at workers’ quarters located within construction sites across Penang.
The remand order, covering suspects aged between 27 and 44, was issued by Magistrate Nurul Ainna Ahmad and will run until April 16, as investigations proceed under Sections 395 and 397 of the Penal Code.
The suspects, comprising nine men and two women, arrived at the Jawi Magistrates’ Court at about 8.50am in a police truck, dressed in orange lock-up attire.
Police sources indicated that the group was apprehended in coordinated operations across three locations, with three arrests made in Sungai Bakap, another three in Simpang Ampat, and five more in Ipoh, Perak, beginning at around 12.40am.
The arrests are linked to at least five reported robbery cases involving workers’ housing facilities.
In the most recent incident, which occurred at about 1.30am the previous day, six masked men armed with knives and machetes allegedly stormed a workers’ accommodation site.
The assailants are reported to have threatened the occupants before binding their hands and feet using cable ties.
They then fled with a range of valuables, including 13 mobile phones, three gold necklaces, a pair of gold earrings, and cash, with total losses estimated at approximately RM42,190.
Police are continuing investigations to determine the full extent of the group’s activities and whether they are linked to additional cases in the region. - April 10, 2026
