Burglars make ‘calls’ before breaking into homes

KUANTAN: Police are hunting down a burglary gang which would make “telephone calls” in front of the homes of their victims for 15 minutes before breaking in.

To avoid suspicion, they never covered their faces and came in a luxury Toyota Estima MPV.

The modus operandi worked as the police believed the gang was responsible for three break-in cases in Seri Teruntum, Lorong Alor Akar and Jalan Tengku Muhammad on Friday.

Kuantan police chief Asst Comm Mohamad Noor Yusof Ali said in the latest incidents, the closed-circuit television (CCTV) recording in one of the victims’ homes showed the thieves staking out in front the house to make sure the victims and their neighbours were not at home.

“One of them would be in front of the house for about 10 to 15 minutes, pretending to make a telephone call while studying the situation before the gang broke into the house by prying open the grilles and doors.

“There is a possibility that a woman was also involved,” he said at a press conference at the Kuantan District Police Headquarters here.

ACP Mohamad Noor said the victims suffered losses amounting to RM150,000 including cash, watches, handphones, laptops and a Mazda CX-5 SUV.

He said based on the CCTV recordings, the suspects were aged between 22 and 35 years and the police believed they had committed such crimes before outside Pahang.

“Investigations also revealed that the registration number W6097R of the dark-coloured Toyota Estima was cloned from a car of a similar make. This showed that the thieves were organised,” he said, adding that police believed the MPV was stolen. — Bernama

Investigations also revealed that the registration number W6097R of the dark-coloured Toyota Estima was cloned from a car of a similar make. Asst Comm Mohamad Noor Yusof Ali