A CID man points to where the police kept the four stolen motorcycles after they successfully crushed ‘The Ah Ping Group’.
SIBU: Police here believe they have crushed a motorcycle theft syndicate after arresting all its five members, including one who acted as a middle man with links in the black market.
Police call the syndicate ‘The Ah Ping Group’, a name derived from the nickname of the mastermind, the black market middleman, who was also arrested in the operation that began near midnight on Friday.
Police consider the operation that ended at 7am on Saturday a success, and within eight hours, had all five Ah Ping members arrested and seized four motorcycles, believed to be stolen properties.
They worked through the night as the five led them to where they had hidden the stolen motorcycles.
Police vow to continue working on serial motorcycle thefts until all previous crimes are solved.
They suspect the five Ah Pings aged between 30 and 40 are also drug addicts, snatchers and thieves who went breaking into houses.
Their initial investigation shows one of the five had been in Johor for some time, and while there, had committed a string of thefts.
They said the syndicate member had returned from Johor for the Chinese New Year celebration, and police jumped on all five Ah Pings last Friday.
Their all-night investigation showed two stolen motorcycles recovered had been stolen in the last 12 hours.
They found the third machine stolen on Jan 4 and are now checking on the details of the fourth stolen motorcycle.
The four were remanded yesterday for two to three days to help police investigate serial crimes committed by the Ah Ping group.
The police here have sprung a series of raids since end of last year to make 2014 a safer year.
They are calling for public cooperation.