POLICE DETAIN 60 IN PAHANG LAND ENCROACHMENT CRACKDOWN SINCE AUGUST

KUANTAN, May 2 (Bernama) -- Sixty individuals, including foreign nationals, have been arrested since a land encroachment enforcement operation began in Pahang, August last year.

Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said 59 investigation papers have been opened in the joint operation involving the Pahang State Enforcement Unit and District Forestry offices.

He said authorities also seized 105 vehicles of various types and 622 units of equipment.

“We will intensify land encroachment operations against those violating the law, not only in Raub but also in other districts.

“We advise all parties not to provoke or interfere with these actions,” he told reporters after a meeting with telecommunications representatives and scrap dealers in Pahang today, which was also attended by his deputy, Datuk Azry Akmar Ayob.

Meanwhile, Yahaya reported that cable theft cases in the state have risen sharply to 414, with 100 arrests recorded in 2024, compared to 211 cases and 31 arrests the previous year.

He said the meeting aimed to engage scrap metal dealers, as cooperation from all parties is crucial in tackling the issue.

“This is to ensure that scrap or second-hand metal shops do not purchase stolen items,” he said.

Separately, Yahaya said police have recorded statements from five individuals to assist in the investigation involving a 13-month-old baby boy who was injured after getting entangled in a cloth cradle.

He added that preliminary findings indicate no criminal elements in the incident.

Earlier, media reports stated that the baby’s mother had called for a thorough investigation, claiming her child was injured after getting entangled in a cloth cradle at a babysitter’s home on April 15.

-- BERNAMA