The police have uncovered a syndicate which dangled drugs as a carrot to lure two gangs of car-jackers to deliver stolen vehicles.

This follows the arrest of four women and 11 men belonging to two gangs which specialised in stealing cars for the sole purpose of receiving drugs in return.

It is learnt the two gangs had been operating for six years, stealing at least 11 cars in the Federal Territory (FT), Selangor and Kelantan.

District police chief ACP Rosly Hasan said the suspects linked to the ‘barter trade’ were picked up in Putrajaya, Selangor and Kelantan, following the arrest of a house break-in suspect in Putrajaya.

He said initial investigations revealed the two gangs were also believed to have committed 10 house break-ins in Putrajaya.

“Most of the 15 suspects, aged between 30 and 40, tested positive for drugs and were nabbed between July 30 and Aug 15,” he told a press conference at the Putrajaya police headquarters today.

Declining to disclose the name of the two gangs as investigations were under way to track down the remaining members, Rosly said a road tax printer, fake road tax, fake car grants, tools used to steal cars and 70 mobile phones worth about RM400,000 were also seized.

Meanwhile, commenting on a RM30,000 goldsmith shop hold-up in Precinct 15, the police chief said investigations had shown a positive development but declined to elaborate.

On Sunday, three men armed with hammers and a can of pepper spray robbed the goldsmith, making it the first goldsmith robbery in Putrajaya.

The robbers escaped in a white Toyota Alphard.

- Bernama