Johor police busts factory break-in syndicate

The Johor police managed to bust a factory break-in syndicate in Kulaijaya with the arrest of 23 suspects, including seven women, in several raids around Senai and Kempas on Monday.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the 13 Vietnamese men, seven Vietnamese women and three local men were believed to be responsible for 63 such cases in the district from Jan to Nov this year.

"The Johor police launched a massive operation through the Ops Cantas Khas and picked up the suspects about 6 am on Monday," he said after a working visit to the state police headquarters, here today.

Also present was Johor police chief Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff.

He said with the detention of the suspects aged 20 to 42 police believe 17 cases have been resolved, including five foreign owned warehouses.

He said they have been remanded until next Monday to facilitate investigation under Section 457 of the Penal Code.

"We're aware that Johor is a gateway for foreign tourists and investors. Therefore, we want to ensure the crime situation here is under control in order not to affect their confidence," he said.

Police also seized various amounts of foreign currencies, including US dollars, Malaysian Ringgit and Vietnamese Dong, 32 mobile phones, three machetes, 23 bangles, computers and tools for breaking-in.