'Iriz' gang crippled, 20 break-in cases solved

The police have resolved at least 20 cases involving house break-ins around the Kota Setar district with the arrest of four members of the 'Iriz' gang, including a woman, in a raid conducted on Wednesday.

Kota Setar District Police deputy chief Supt Yazri Ismail said the four suspects, aged 17 to 32, were arrested at a restaurant in Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

"At 1.23pm yesterday, a police report was lodged by a homeowner at the Kuala Kedah Police Station regarding a burglary incident involving two houses in Taman Bersatu, Kuala Kedah.

"Based on the information received, the police managed to trace Proton Iriz car rented by the suspects to commit the crime, and it led to the arrest of four suspects at a restaurant nearby the hotel they were staying at," he told reporters at the Kota Setar District Police Headquarters here, on Thursday.

He said the suspects' modus operandi was to enter housing estates as 'visitors' before breaking into houses whose residents were away.

"They will pretend to call or alert the homeowners, and if there is no answer, they will break into the house.

"The group has been active since last year, and they use rental vehicles while committing the crime before putting up at budget hotels around Alor Setar," he said.

Yazri said one of the suspects was wanted by the police for two previous house break-in cases, and urine tests also found three of the suspects positive for drugs.

All the suspects were remanded for seven days from today, and the case is being investigated under Section 457 of the Penal Code.

He added that nearly 20 stolen items worth about RM35,000 were found in the car and hotel room used by the suspects including electronics and jewellery, as well as RM400 in cash.

-- BERNAMA