Five Iranian nationals remanded in probe of Penang 'pukau' thefts
State acting police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin said the three men and two women were believed to have entered the country on tourist visas.
"Based on their modus operandi, they operate in groups and possess skills in stealing money.
'Checks on their travel records, as well as the authenticity of their passports, are still being made by the Immigration Department,' he told the media here on Monday (Aug 4).
DCP Alwi said investigators are also looking into the suspects' possible involvement in cases in other states.
ALSO READ: Five foreigners nabbed for allegedly robbing 'hypnotised' tourists in Penang (https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/08/03/five-foreigners-nabbed-for-allegedly-robbing-039hypnotised039-tourists-in-penang)
He said police believe the suspects travelled to Penang by car from Kuala Lumpur, arriving on July 27 and staying at a homestay in Batu Ferringhi.
On Sunday (Aug 3), it was reported that five Middle Eastern nationals aged 19 to 35 were detained in the Gurney Plaza area under an operation dubbed Ops Tourist.
DCP Alwi had said that from Wednesday to Friday (July 30 to Aug 1), police received three reports of cash thefts involving tourists from Taiwan, the Netherlands and Syria in the Pulau Tikus and Jalan Penang areas.
He said a team from George Town police headquarters' Criminal Investigation Department then carried out Ops Tourist to arrest the suspects.
During the arrest, police also seized multiple foreign currencies, two vehicles, and a packet of ganja, he added.
All the suspects have been remanded until Wednesday (Aug 6) and the case is being investigated under Sections 379 and 380 of the Penal Code, and Sections 6 and 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
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