‘Thieves of parts’ catch racing teams and SIC off guard

A huge theft case has stolen some of the limelight from the Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC).

SIC chief executive officer Datuk Razlan Razali confirmed that several teams had their parts stolen on Friday morning between 1am and 6am at the paddock of the track.

“Around five or six teams were hit but the worst was Angel Nieto Team where many of their Moto2 and Moto 3 parts were stolen,” said Razlan.

When asked if it could have been an international syndicate that was involved in the crime, he did not deny it.

“After meeting with the team, it could have been a specific group that were involved and they knew what it was they wanted to steal.

“They only stole parts like the suspension, brakes, lever, brake pumps. There were computers there but they didn’t take them.

“So they knew what they wanted to take and what they were doing. This is what we suspect for now but we will leave it to the police to investigate.

“We’re not sure yet about the total value of the parts that were stolen but the event insurance will cover the losses.”

Razlan added that he was very disappointed with the incident and that the criminals have created a negative image of the country, the event and the track.

“We’ve done the best we can to ensure the safety of the riders and their properties. We’ve taken precautions before this but some have still taken the opportunity to steal.

“Every year, we continue to tighten the security and the paddock but if people want to steal, they will keep on trying till they get caught.

“I’m very angry at this incident because these are the people who have made the name of Malaysia and the track look bad.”

Police confirmed they received a report from the security division from SIC on the theft case.