SHAH ALAM: The arrest of a man, caught red-handed stealing cash from a mosque in Section 27 here, has led to police busting a band of thieves on Monday.

Investigators during their probe found that the gang had been active in stealing cash contributions from mosques in the district since last year.

Shah Alam district police chief Assistant Commissioner Shafien Mamat said they found that the gang was behind a theft case at Masjid Al-Ubudiah in Section 19 here of which a CCTV screengrab of the perpetrators had gone viral on social media.

“At about 4.30am on Monday, committee members of Munawarah Mosque in Section 27 apprehended a 25-year-old man who was found stealing cash from a donation box there.

“Following the arrest, police raided four premises in the Sri Muda area, where we nabbed six others aged between 25 and 32.

They are believed to members of a gang which had been active in stealing cash from mosques for the past two months.

“Their modus operandi was to stick glue at one end of a shirt’s hanger, and used it to ‘fish’ out cash in donation boxes,” he said in a statement.

Shafien said the first suspect, who had with him RM62, had admitted that he was responsible for seven cases in Shah Alam area.

The operation also saw police seizing a car, two motorcycles, screwdrivers, hangers, and a plier.

Shafien said the suspects were being remanded for four days to facilitate investigations under Section 380 of the Penal Code for theft in dwelling house.-nst