Kedah cops break up ‘Bri Gang’ active in property crimes since January

ALOR SETAR: Kedah police have busted the ‘Bri Gang’ which was active in property crime, thus solving 22 cases of vehicle theft and burglary that gripped the Kota Setar and Pendang districts.

Kedah police chief Datuk Fisol Salleh said they have arrested four local men and a woman including the 36-year-old gang leader known as ‘Bri’.

“On Oct 29, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (JSJ) of the Kedah police contingent arrested a man before the follow-up arrests of three men and a woman aged 27 to 39 were carried out on Nov 2 and Nov 6.

“The gang, which has been active since the beginning of the year, is involved in vehicle theft, house-breaking and theft in buildings where it targeted unoccupied houses, business premises and houses under construction,” he said at a press conference at the Kedah police contingent headquarters here Tuesday (Nov 21).

He said police also confiscated several case items that were reported missing, including two motorcycles, two cars and a van, while loot not found is believed to have been fenced off to other parties by the suspects.

“All the suspects have past criminal records and tested positive for methamphetamine. They were remanded until today (Nov 21) and an extension of remand will be applied for tomorrow (Nov 22),” he said.

In another development, Fisol said on Nov 15, police arrested 10 men aged 24 to 46 suspected of diesel misappropriation activities in two separate areas around Kulim.

“Police confiscated 18,000 litres of diesel fuel before it could have been possibly smuggled out to a neighbouring country and the total value of the seizure, including several vehicles and cash, is estimated at RM349,850.

“All arrests and confiscations have been submitted to the Domestic Trade Ministry for investigation under Section 21 of the Supply Control Act 1961,” he said.

He said throughout January to November, Kedah police in liaison with other agencies had carried out 25 raids with 70 arrests involving a seizure of 492,970 litres of diesel and 1,500 litres of petrol estimated to be worth more than RM1mil. – BK