A group of teenagers on motorcycles has been praised online after a video went viral showing them stopping an attempted telecommunication cable theft in Permas Jaya, Johor, early Friday morning.
The one-minute clip captures the teens confronting a man allegedly trying to load unearthed cables into a four-wheel-drive vehicle at around 2.20am. Johor Bahru South district police chief ACP Raub Selamat confirmed that authorities are investigating the incident after the video circulated online on Saturday.
“The first official report was lodged at 5.36am on Friday by a 51-year-old telecommunications technician who discovered the targeted 50-metre underground cable while patrolling the area to prevent theft,” Raub said.
Police are investigating under Section 431A of the Penal Code for mischief by damaging communication cables, which carries a maximum penalty of two years’ jail, a fine, or both upon conviction. Authorities have urged witnesses or anyone with information to contact the Johor Bahru South district police headquarters or its hotline at 07-2182323.
The incident comes amid a sharp increase in infrastructure theft across Malaysia, reportedly fuelled by rising global copper prices. In the rail sector alone, cases rose 68 per cent in 2025, with 40 incidents recorded in the first two months of 2026.
