MAJOR SUCCESS: Ismail (third right) and Nagulan (second right) at the press conference. (Inset) The stolen motorcycles and tools which the suspects used in their criminal activities.
MIRI: Police believe they have crippled a syndicate which specialises in stealing motorcycles in the city with the arrest of 12 individuals, all in their 20s, recently.
Miri deputy police chief Supt Ismail Idris told reporters at the Miri Central Police station (CPS) yesterday that four of those nabbed were motorcycle vendors.
“The remaining eight are Indonesians who are oil palm plantation workers.”
He said a raid, led by Chief Inspector Nagulan Manikam, was mounted on Feb 13 and the police team managed to round up all the 12 suspects and seized 12 motorcycles.
These motorcycles, worth more than RM70,000, have been reported missing since early January this year.
“All the stolen bikes were sold to foreign workers in oil palm estates in the rural areas at a cheaper price than those sold in the city.”
He revealed that police had been receiving a steady stream of missing motorcycle reports in recent months, and that was why his men had been keeping close tabs in hotspot areas.
They eventually pounced on Feb 13. At about 10am on that day, a police team spotted four suspicious characters in a white Perodua Kancil at the parking area of a shopping complex.
“Two of the four men in the Kancil came out and walked to where a motorcycle was parked. By using some tools, they managed to start the engine within minutes and rode off.
“My men then tailed the Kancil, which went to another place in the city to steal yet another motorcycle.
“It was at the second venue that we nabbed the suspects. During interrogation, they told us that the stolen motorcycles had been sold in Suai, Niah. This led to the arrest of the eight buyers, who were all Indonesians.”
Ismail added that all the stolen motorcycles had Bintulu plate numbers.