5 days ago
Police arrest five over latex theft syndicate in Perak
IPOH: Five men, including a Pakistani national, have been arrested in connection with a latex theft syndicate during a raid here.
General Operations Force northern brigade commander Senior Asst Comm Shahrum Hashim said the suspects are aged from 32 to 59 and were detained in Op Intra from 2.30am to 6pm on Friday (August 8).
He said the team tracked the activity for two months before tailing a tanker lorry transporting latex from Kedah to a premises in Taiping.
At the premises, the suspects transferred latex into 1,000kg IBC tanks using a hose.
'Our checks found the driver had sold about 900kg of latex and used a cunning tactic by placing metal weights in the tanker to mask the shortage,' he said in a statement on Saturday (Aug 9).
He said 35,400kg of latex, a tanker lorry, equipment used to transfer latex and two mobile phones were seized, with total value at RM789,132.04.
Comm Shahrum said the Pakistani suspect also violated his work permit conditions under Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
He said the Pakistani man was handed to the Taiping district police Criminal Investigation Division, while the other suspects and seizures were handed to the Malaysian Rubber Board (LGM) for further investigation.
Comm Shahrum added the case is being probed under the LGM Licensing and Permit Regulations 2014 for buying, storing, selling or processing rubber without authorisation and for dealing in rubber from questionable sources.
He said the Northern Brigade will step up surveillance and patrols in Perak, Penang and Kedah and urged the public to share information with the authorities.
Comm Shahrum then added that the operation was carried out with LGM, the Taiping Municipal Council and the Taiping district police.
