By Opalyn Mok
BUKIT MERTAJAM, Oct 9 — Police have recovered RM21 million worth of microchips from a RM22 million heist in Prai and arrested 14 suspects in connection with the case.
“We have successfully solved this case within 14 hours after the incident and the suspects have been remanded,” said Federal CID director Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Mohd Zinin (picture).
He said the police had recovered 256 of the 269 boxes of microchips carted away in the October 7 theft.
In the 2.26am incident, between eight and 10 masked men armed with parang and samurai swords entered a microchip storage facility through the back gate.
Six security guards and a supervisor were tied up while the robbers carted away the boxes of microchips in a lorry.
“The whole incident was over in 30 minutes,” Bakri told a press conference at the Bukit Mertajam police station.
Following information received from the public, police were led to a house in Kepala Batas where 256 boxes of the microchips were recovered.
The 14 suspects remanded are aged between 29 and 51 years old and three of them have previous convictions.
“We are investigating the case under sections 395 and 397 of the Penal Code for armed robbery which carries a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping,” he said.
“Based on our preliminary investigations, we believed that there are elements of an inside job,” he said.
Among the suspects remanded were workers in the storage facility.
“We are looking at all angles to see if this group is also involved in other similar heists and how long it has been in operation,” he said.
Earlier, Bakri visited the storage facility and advised the owners to step up its security to prevent future incidences.
“Their security system is weak and should be improved,” he said.
The police are looking for S. Thurai Raj, 27 of Bukit Mertajam to assist in investigations.