Luxury Car Theft Ring busted, 14 Arrested

The police have crippled a syndicate behind the theft of luxury cars with the arrest of 14 individuals in a recent raid.

According to Federal Police Secretary Noorsiah Saaduddin, the police also seized five luxury vehicles suspected of being stolen. The syndicate, according to Noorsiah, targeted car showrooms, workshops, valet parking zones, and car wash outlets in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor, and Pahang.

Three of the suspects, aged 22 to 43, were women. "The syndicate's mode of operation is to pose as a buyer or owner of a vehicle and trick employees at the premises in question into handing over the keys before fleeing with the car," she said in a statement. This syndicate also hired 'jockeys' to transport stolen vehicles to Thailand. The case has been classified under Section 379A and Section 411 of the Penal Code for theft of motor vehicle and dishonestly receiving stolen property respectively, she added.

Noorsiah stated that the police had received 14 reports of luxury vehicle thefts linked to the syndicate. She advised the general public, particularly employees of car showrooms, workshops, valet parking services, and car wash outlets, to be wary of individuals claiming to be vehicle owners or representatives, and to verify such claims before handing over the keys. She stated that the police recommend that security measures be implemented at such locations, and that the procedure for handing over car keys and vehicles be tightened as well. In general, once a stolen vehicle is obtained, syndicate members will use various tools such as an immobiliser to disable the alarm or a signal jammer to disable the GPS system.

They will then change the plate number to a fake one before storing the vehicle in a secure location while looking for a buyer. For your information, not all car insurance policies in Malaysia cover theft, especially when it is the result of negligence. Here's an example of negligence: did you leave your car in a hotel and give the valet keys? The insurance company will take that into account and may refuse to pay compensation. The same issue can arise if you use a car wash service or give a key to a friend.