JOHOR BARU – Police crippled a copper-smelting syndicate with the seizure of equipment and goods worth over RM3.5 million in Simpang Renggam, near Kluang, yesterday morning.
General Operations Force 5th Battalion commanding officer Dimin Awang said it arrested eight men, including four Chinese nationals and one Bangladesh national, aged 24 to 66, at Kg Ibrahim Majid, Simpang Renggam at 4.30am.
He said police also confiscated six white sacks containing mixed copper pieces, 24 pallets of mixed copper sheets, 41 large sacks filled with mixed copper, 13 slabs of copper weighing 450kg each, 67 large sacks of charcoal, and forklift trucks.
“We also seized generators, boilers. and weighing scales, all totalling RM3,500,750.
“With the arrest and seizure, we believe we have crippled an illegal copper-smelting syndicate in the Simpang Renggam and Pontian areas,” he said in a statement today.
Dimin said all the suspects and seized items had been taken to the Kluang district police headquarters for further action.
The case is being investigated under Section 29(1) of the Minor Offences Act, Section 6 of the Second-Hand Dealers Act and Section 6(1) of the Immigration Act. – Bernama, May 31, 2021