Miri police bust cable theft syndicate, four arrested

MIRI (March 17): Police here, in a joint operation with the auxiliary police of Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB), have busted a cable theft group believed to be responsible for a series of underground cable thefts around the city.

Miri District Police Chief Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said in a statement on Tuesday that an operation carried out between March 13 and 16 led to the arrest of four suspects, comprising two local men and two foreign men aged between 30 and 40.

He said the arrests were the result of intelligence gathering based on several police reports on cable theft incidents in the district, as well as close cooperation with SEB’s auxiliary police unit.

“During the raid at an unlicensed scrap metal premises in Bekenu, a vehicle believed to belong to the suspects was seized, along with several rolls of cable sheathing, a quantity of copper cables, a weighing scale and cutting tools suspected to have been used in the theft activities,” he said.

He added that the dismantling of the group has helped solve at least two cable theft cases in Miri District, with investigations still ongoing to track down other accomplices who may still be at large.

The case is currently being investigated under Section 431A of the Penal Code, which provides for a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both upon conviction.

Mohd Farhan stressed that the Royal Malaysia Police views cases involving theft of public infrastructure seriously, as such crimes not only cause financial losses but also disrupt essential services to the public.

Members of the public with information are urged to contact Miri District Police Headquarters operation room at 085-433 400 or the nearest police station.