Police have dismantled a syndicate believed to be behind a series of cable thefts along the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project in Kelantan, with two local men arrested last month.
Kelantan Police Chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said the suspects, aged between their 20s and 30s, are believed to have been involved in all four ECRL cable theft cases reported in the state this year, which resulted in losses of about RM50,000.
He said the syndicate allegedly took advantage of the fact that the electrical system along parts of the ECRL alignment has yet to become fully operational.
“The suspects are believed to have been active since February. Each incident involved the theft of cables and other equipment containing copper,” he said.
Most of the thefts occurred in Pasir Puteh, which has the longest ECRL alignment in Kelantan and connects to the rail route from Terengganu.
Mohd Yusoff said the stolen cables were believed to have been sold to scrap metal dealers in the state.
He added that discussions have been held with ECRL authorities to strengthen security measures, including the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and the deployment of security guards.
District police chiefs overseeing ECRL routes have also been instructed to increase patrols to prevent further theft incidents.
