A warehouse employee teamed up with outsiders to stage a fake “robbery,” stealing company goods and vehicles before filing a false police report claiming the warehouse had been burglarized. Police later confirmed it was an inside job, arresting 10 suspects including the mastermind.
Baling district police chief Ahmad Salimi said officers received the report at 1:13 p.m. on Feb 15, alleging a break-in earlier that morning at a warehouse in Kampung Bukit Lawa, Baling. The thieves allegedly drove away a 4WD, a lorry, a motorcycle, and stole 30 rolls of copper cable along with a blower. The warehouse’s CCTV system was also found tampered with.
By 5 p.m. that same day—less than four hours later—police arrested a 38-year-old warehouse worker who confessed to orchestrating the theft and filing a false report. Checks revealed he had 16 prior criminal and drug-related records.
The next day, police detained four more suspects—three men aged 29 to 46 and a 16-year-old girl—in Sungai Petani’s Taman Chee Leong. All admitted to being involved, with the men having multiple prior criminal and drug offenses.
In the early hours of Feb 17, two more men (aged 25 and 28) and a 31-year-old woman were arrested at a house in Kampung Serukang. The men had prior records, while the woman admitted to participating in the break-in.
On Feb 18, police picked up two men aged 40 and 43 at a scrap metal yard in Sungai Petani for allegedly buying the stolen goods. Both had past criminal and drug records.
Ahmad Salimi confirmed that out of the 10 arrested, two were still under parole. With these arrests, police believe the case has been solved.
Seven men and two women were brought to court in Sungai Petani yesterday to face charges of theft and dealing in stolen property. Four men and two women pleaded guilty to theft; three were fined RM2,000 each or two months’ jail if unpaid, while another was sentenced to 10 months in prison. The two men accused of buying the stolen goods pleaded not guilty.
Separately, six men and one woman were charged in Sik court today. Three men face housebreaking charges, while the warehouse employee was charged with filing a false police report.
Two suspects still under parole were charged under Prison Regulations 43(4) of 1990, while another two men and one woman faced charges under Section 292 of the Penal Code for possession of obscene materials.
