SEPANG – Police have confirmed the arrest of three local men on suspicion of stealing cables from the KLIA Express and KLIA Transit Express Rail Link (ERL) services near Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi and Dengkil.
Sepang District Police Chief ACP Norhizam Bahaman confirmed in a statement that the arrests were made early this morning by his department, in collaboration with the Criminal Investigation Division of the Selangor Contingent Headquarters, Bernama reported.
On April 9, Scoop reported that at least three individuals linked to a string of cable thefts had been detained, but it remains unclear whether the three men arrested today are the same suspects.
“The three suspects, aged between 25 and 50, had criminal records and drug abuse cases. With this arrest, police were able to solve three cases of ERL cable theft that occurred in the Sepang district,” Norhizam said today.
While the stolen cables have not yet been recovered, authorities are continuing their search for two additional suspects believed to be involved in the thefts.
Norhizam also confirmed that the case is being investigated under Sections 379 and 447 of the Penal Code.
On April 9, KLIA Express and KLIA Transit services were disrupted following multiple cable thefts. The thefts occurred between Salak Tinggi Station and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 Station, as well as between Putrajaya & Cyberjaya Station and Salak Tinggi Station.
On the same day, police confirmed the arrest of three suspects linked to the cable thefts, adding that they were investigating whether a larger group is behind the series of incidents.
Sepang police deputy chief Shan Gopal Krishnan told Scoop that three suspects have been identified in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi and are currently under investigation. He added that authorities were in the midst of determining their motive behind the thefts.
Based on their checks, several signal link cables were found to be cut by the suspects. The preliminary investigation suggests that a larger group – possibly a team of five to six individuals – may have been involved in planning the incident, Shan said.
The damage caused by the thefts has been estimated at RM12,000 at the ERL Air Control Centre at KM48.5 near Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi. However, industry experts have warned that the total financial impact could exceed RM1 million when considering lost revenue, repair costs, and other related expenses.
In a statement to Scoop, an ERL representative revealed that the vandals exploited a security loophole.
“The thief exploited a loophole and closely monitored our security movements. The individuals involved in these acts meticulously observed our security procedures and took advantage of a specific vulnerability within the system,” the spokesperson said. – April 12, 2025