SPM candidate among 10 held for motorcycle thefts, break-ins

A Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia candidate was among 10 people detained to facilitate police investigations into a spate of motorcycle thefts and burglaries in Penang.

The suspects, aged between 17 and 48, were picked up in several raids at Simpang Apat here and Relau in Kedah between Oct 25 and last Friday.

Seberang Perai Selatan (SPS) police chief, Supt Wan Hassan Wan Ahmad said the police seized various motorcycle components and several motorcycle frames which were dumped in Sungai Batu Kawan.

"Our investigations found that the group which was active in the past six months was also involved in house break-ins at Seberang Perai Selatan and Seberang Perai Tengah, here and in Kerian, Perak and Bandar Baharu in Kedah," he told a press conference here Thursday.

He said with the arrest of the gang, the police believed they had solved 16 motorcycle theft cases and 12 house burglaries in the district.

In another development, Wan Hassan said the police were in the midst of tracking down three men, including one with burns, after he was seared by a fire which the trio started in front of a supermarket in Simpang Ampat early Wednesday.

"Based on footage obtained from the supermarket's closed-circuit television, the men were seen dousing the main entrance with petrol at 1.30am, before torching it.

"We urge clinics and hospitals to contact the police if they have treated patients with burns," he added.