KANGAR (Sept 18): Four men, including a civil servant, were arrested for allegedly staging the disappearance of a Toyota Vellfire to facilitate an insurance claim following financial problems faced by one of them.

Padang Besar police chief ACP Mohd Shokri Abdullah said the suspects, aged between 32 and 45, were arrested in raids at three locations in the Padang Besar and Arau districts at about 5.15 pm on Thursday.

He said the main suspect, a 42-year-old civil servant in Perlis, had travelled to Kuala Lumpur on July 16 to attend a course, using his wife's black Toyota Vellfire.

"On July 17, at about 8am, the suspect lodged a police report claiming that the vehicle had gone missing in Sungai Besi," he said in a statement on Friday.

Mohd Shokri said investigations found that the reported loss was believed to have been staged by the main suspect and his 45-year-old brother to facilitate an insurance claim.

The vehicle was believed to have been taken to a workshop in Kaki Bukit, Padang Besar to be dismantled, with valuable components collected for sale, he said.

He said two other men, both aged 32, were also believed to have assisted in the plan.

"All four suspects are currently detained to assist in the investigation and have been taken to the Cheras District Police Headquarters (IPD) in Selangor for remand proceedings," he said.

Mohd Shokri said the case was being investigated under Section 379A of the Penal Code for the theft of a motor vehicle or any of its component parts, which carries a jail term of between one and seven years and a fine upon conviction.

He said police viewed seriously any attempt to misuse police reports for personal gain or profit, as such actions compromised investigations and wasted enforcement resources.

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