KUANTAN: Police have arrested two men, including a foreign national from Cambodia, on suspicion of stealing cables belonging to the East Coast Rail Link project.
The arrests occurred during a raid on a rubber plantation shed located at the Temerloh Industrial Park in Mentakab on September 26.
Acting Temerloh Police Chief ACP Mohd Nasyim Bahron stated that both suspects, a 30-year-old local man and a 28-year-old Cambodian, tested positive for methamphetamine.
Both individuals attempted to flee the scene at 7.05 pm but were apprehended following a brief struggle with officers.
A subsequent search uncovered 5.16 grammes of syabu in one suspect’s pocket and cable theft equipment including a grinder inside the shed.
The local suspect, who has a prior drug-related criminal record, was charged at the Temerloh Magistrate’s Court on September 30.
He faces charges under Section 39A(1) and Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
Authorities arrested the Cambodian national under the Immigration Act for failing to possess valid identification documents.
The foreign suspect has been remanded in custody until October 10 to assist with the ongoing investigation.
During police interrogation, both men confessed to involvement in several cable theft cases alongside two other individuals.
Their accomplices, known only by the nicknames ‘Musang’ and ‘Sepet’, remain at large and are wanted by police.
Investigation papers concerning this case were forwarded to the Pahang deputy public prosecutor’s office on October 1 for further legal action. – Bernama