SUNGAI PETANI: Police have crippled a water meter theft syndicate known as "Geng Bob", which had been active in the Kuala Muda district over the past six months.

The operation, conducted in collaboration with Syarikat Air Darul Aman (Sada), led to the arrest of two men, aged 30 and 34, during a recent raid in the district.

Kuala Muda police chief Assistant Commissioner Hanyan Ramlan said 45 copper water meter casings, believed to belong to the state water concessionaire, were seized.

Also recovered was a black plastic bag containing burnt copper wires weighing 11.05kg, estimated to be worth RM6,000.

Featured Videos

A car belonging to one of the suspects was also confiscated.

"The losses are not just borne by the victims; the country also suffers as treated water is wasted due to the stolen meter casings," he told reporters today.

Hanyan said the suspects tested positive for methamphetamine and had previous records involving drugs and other crimes.

He added that they typically took place in the early hours, targeting residential areas.

In a separate raid, police arrested a scrap metal dealer who allegedly purchased the stolen items.

"Each meter is worth about RM120, but the suspects received only about RM15 per unit when selling them to scrap dealers," Hanyan said.

He advised the public to install additional locks on their water meters to prevent similar thefts.

The case is being investigated under Section 379 of the Penal Code for theft, which carries a maximum jail term of seven years, a fine, or both.