BATU PAHAT: Police arrested five suspects including two women for a series of house break-ins, and mosque donation box thefts in the district.
They raked in more than RM35,000 in ill-gotten gains.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Ismail Dolah said between January and this month, police recorded a surge in number of property break-ins and thefts in mosques, which led to a taskforce to be established to nail the suspects.
Victims lost cash, jewellery, while mosques and surau had their donation boxes damaged or stolen, recording losses amounting to RM35,000.
"Based on intelligence gathered, a 34-year-old man responsible for eight break-in and thefts was arrested on March 8. He is believed to be the key suspect behind the break-ins."
Police also seized jewellery and a tablet from him.
The suspect was charged at the Batu Pahat magistrate's court under Sections 453, 448, and 441 of the Penal Code for break-in and trespassing. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a RM5,300 fine, which he failed to pay and was incarcerated to a two-year-one-month jail term.
The suspect is also scheduled to appear in the Yong Peng magistrate's court tomorrow, to face two additional charges under Section 411 for having in his possession stolen properties knowingly.
A two-day police surveillance beginning Wednesday (March 13) led the taskforce to arrest two men and two women, aged between 27 and 28.
Police seized break-in tools, including modified long hooks believed to be used to fish out banknotes from mounted donated boxes in mosques.
Ismail said the four suspects who were remanded are believed to have been actively stealing money from donation boxes placed in the mosques and surau.