City police chief Asst Comm M. Chandra said Friday the 25-year-old gang leader known as Hitam, who has a string of cases ranging from robbery and car theft to drug abuse, was arrested after a high-speed car chase in Kg Likas here two days ago.
He said Hitam and an accomplice, aged 37, were spotted by police patrolmen, but they sped off.
This led to the car chase that ended with police managing to stop and nab them.
Three other members, including a 27-year-old security guard, were arrested in Sabah’s northern Kota Marudu district.
The other two, aged 23 and 26, were arrested in Telipok and neighbouring Tuaran district.
ACP Chandra said police managed to recover stolen items, including three cars and a safe, in the raids between Feb 19 and Feb 23.
He said in February itself, the gang was allegedly involved in four robberies.
ACP Chandra said Hitam is wanted for 11 robberies between 2013 and 2015, two cases of fighting, a car theft and at least 14 cases of house-breaking and theft.
“He is a drug addict and has been caught five times for drug abuse,” ACP Chandra said, adding that police would be charging him under Section 39C of the Dangerous Drug Act, which carries a mandatory five-year jail term for those convicted for drug abuse for the third time.
According to ACP Chandra, one of the gang members was a recently released prison inmate who tested positive for drug use.
He said the security guard, whose car was used in one of the robberies, had claimed that he had sold the vehicle and was not involved in the heist.
However, police found that he had a record involving assault and wife beating.
By Muguntun Vanar
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