KUALA LUMPUR: Four men, including the mastermind of the snatch theft gang dubbed "Gang Ayoi Gombak", have been detained in several raids in Shah Alam, Sentul and Hulu Klang.
The mastermind, who is known as "Angah", also acts as the expert in melting down stolen jewellery to be sold to goldsmiths.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Comm Datuk Saiful Azly Kamaruddin said the suspects were detained in an operation conducted between Feb 28 and March 1.
"We detained the first suspect, a 29-year-old man, at Jalan Sentul on Feb 28, for being involved in several snatch thefts.
"He was subsequently held under the Prevention of Crime Act (Poca) until March 23," he told a press conference at the KL police headquarters on Friday (March 5).