POLICE crippled a syndicate involved in stealing luxury cars with the arrest of 14 individuals, including the mastermind, in a raid recently.

Bukit Aman secretary Noorsiah Mohd Saaduddin said with the arrest of the suspects, aged between 22 and 43, who included three women, police also seized five luxury vehicles, believed to have been stolen.

Noorsiah said the syndicate targeted car sales centres and workshops, valet parking and car wash shops in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Malacca, Johor and Pahang.

“Their modus operandi is to pretend to be a buyer or owner of a vehicle and trick employees at the premises concerned into handing over the keys before fleeing with the car.

“This syndicate was also found to have obtained the services of ‘jockeys’ to send some stolen vehicles to Thailand,” she said in a statement today.

Noorsiah said police had received 14 reports on theft of luxury vehicles, believed to have been done by the syndicate.

She advised the public, especially employees at car sales centres, workshops, valet parking and car wash shops to be wary of individuals claiming to be owners or representatives of the vehicle owners before handing over the cars to them. 

“We recommend that security measures be taken at the premises involved and that the procedure for handing over the keys and vehicles to be tightened,” she said. – Bernama, February 18, 2023.