Scrap Metal Thieves Cash-In on Dirty Deals
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www.ipohecho.com.my IPOH Your Community Newspaper echoechoServing the people of Ipoh, Chemor, Sg.Siput,Taiping, Kuala Kangsar, Gopeng, Kampar, Batu Gajah, Air Tawar, Sitiawan, Lumut and Teluk Intan. FREE for collection from our office and selected outlets, on 1st & 16th of the month. ISSUE PP 14252/10/2008(007226) July 16 - 31, 2008 30 sen for delivery to your house by news vendors within Perak. 54 RM 1 prepaid postage for mailing within Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. Scrap metal thieves cash-in on dirty deals Ipoh houses, shops and factories are now being targeted day and night Read our full report - page 2 Photo by Rosli Mansor 2 IPOH ECHO July 16 - 31, 2008 Your Community Newspaper METAL THIEVES ON THE STREETS OF IPOH What can be done to halt the plundering? By Nisha Devina Roy As international met- nothing more than an ex- al prices soar so, too, cuse to monopolise the does the crime rate for RM350 million local scrap scrap metal theft across metal industry. The deal- Perak’s main urban cen- ers argued that metal theft tres – particularly Ipoh. could more effectively be Local thieves spe- reduced through police co- cialising in this nefarious operation with government “trade” are becoming bra- departments and agencies zenly indifferent to police rather than via operations countermeasures. Driven of a sole agent. by substantially increased However, an under- returns, they are now di- lying problem raised by recting their raids both some scrap dealers is how day and night. one identifies stolen scrap Working individu- metal? ally, in pairs and in groups A vital fire hydrant, all parts present and correct. Another vital fire hydrant - vandalized by scrap thieves One Perak dealer sim- of three or four, they are ply stated: “Many people plundering manhole cov- Authorities and the com- to pursue. Others are even more There is nothing more come into our yards and ers, telephone wires, air munity must put pressure The hopefully re- blatant. They masquerade to it. No need to fill out tell us they are renovating conditioner coils, sections on scrap metal dealers. formed criminal confirmed as construction workers to paperwork. No requirement their homes, throwing out of metal fencing, seg- While unquestionably not that a significant propor- target abandoned or vacant to reveal identities by old air conditioners and ments of power transmis- all such traders function tion of Perak’s scrap metal homes. In most instances, presentation of ID cards. such. It is not really our sion towers, aluminium deviously, this general thieves were drug addicts neighbours never question No official records need to problem to ask, is it?” gutters, copper down-pip- trading scene still harbours looking for their next fix. why ‘construction workers’ be kept. ing and lead roof sheath- the conduits for stolen “They just steal one or two are fiddling with manhole A significant number TACKLING THE ing. The list goes on. property. septic tank covers. They covers, down piping and of scrap metal dealers are PROBLEM The Ipoh Echo man- sell these and purchase such. reluctant to badger sell- RECORDS BROKEN aged to get in touch with drugs from their earnings. At some point metal ers about where the metal Possible measures to a former scrap metal thief. Everyone is desperate for thieves have to unload pieces they are offering counter stolen scrap metal Driven by demand in He was able to give an in- something,” he lamented. their pickings. Currently come from. Scrap metal is trading involves a require- China, the international sider’s view on how this One point Steven this is not proving diffi- just that - stray pieces of ment for dealers to tag and prices of copper and lead criminal activity has be- emphasized was perhaps cult. Numerous scrap metal metal with no clues to their hold items for a specific have broken all records period of time before re- over recent months. What sale. As far as the sale of is more, the experts are air-conditioning coils are predicting metal prices concerned, these should be across the board will con- restricted to licensed com- tinue to rise in the foresee- panies. able future. As a reflection Sellers of scrap metal of this, non-ferrous scrap should also be required to metal in 2001 fetched receive payment by cheque RM1.96 a pound. Today or voucher, eliminating all this price has shot up to cash payments. RM11.46 a pound. Homeowners and NEW RESTRICTIONS business operators, tar- geted by metal thieves, In the meantime, local are now having to meet far governments and councils steeper replacement costs could reduce the traffic for stolen gutters, siding, An intact manhole cover that has so far escapted theft. A stolen cover replaced by a cement replica of stolen metals by slap- downspouts, septic tank ping new restrictions on all covers and other steel, alu- come so prevalent. Steven worth noting; a segment centers in Malaysia and origins. points of sale. This could minium or copper items. (name changed to protect of the latest scrap metal adjacent territories will- While researching the identity) appeared rather thieves plying their trade in ingly accept metal for cash issue, the Ipoh Echo spoke include requiring all trad- ers in scrap metals to pro- SINGLE HEISTS nervous at first but, when Perak are decidedly more with few questions asked. to several scrap metal prodded, justified his innovative than their pred- While speaking to dealers who maintained duce identification cards. Making air-condition- On industrial sites, previous actions on the ecessors. In order to get a scrap metal dealer in they never accepted stolen ing units theft-proof might thieves are making off grounds of family require- away with bigger and bet- Perak, the Ipoh Echo was stock. They also main- be another approach. with copper coil and wir- ments. “I have a big fam- ter booty, they now drive told that the process was tained they reported to the Meanwhile metal ing worth hundreds of ily, he explained. get-away lorries while ac- not a complicated one. police any suspicious ac- thefts remain a serious thousands of ringgit in “Even with two jobs complices perform quick People simply pull up, tivity coming their way. problem for everyone planned, single heists. I could barely meet util- grab-and-runs with man- drop off their load, have On the other hand po- concerned - property While all this cre- ity and food payments. hole covers, drain covers it weighed, then drive off lice report that approaches owners, home builders, ates serious problems for Stealing manhole covers and gutters. with cash. of this nature from scrap public utilities and the the state. An intensifying and selling them as scrap metal dealers were ex- community at large. pattern for scrap metal metal was a good way to tremely rare. thievery is being imposed make extra money to buy nationwide. uniforms and shoes for my WHO REPORTS? www.ipohecho.com.my Clear indications are children. What else was I IPOH echoYour Community Newspaper that such activity is far meant to do?” They say most metal more rampant in areas The Ipoh Echo point- thefts are reported by Advertise in experiencing high unem- ed out that stealing a man- people whose goods have ployment and drug use. hole cover remained a been stolen. Appointments Herein, of course, lies an crime. Steven then main- Three months ago Classifieds important message for tained his former actions Sabah moved against the Ipoh. were non-violent and thus escalating crime of metal Call: Still, there is reason not as serious as other theft by appointing a sole Christine Tang for long term optimism crimes. “I was not hurting agent to purchase scrap providing local authori- people. I was helping my metal. The move triggered Executive ties recognize and act on family.” considerable opposition Tel : (605) 2495936 specific features of the This somewhat fatu- from scrap dealers. Fax : (605) 2552181 crime. One possible coun- ous “Robin Hood” phi- Any chunk of metal is a potential target - this time is was They maintained the ter-measure is obvious. losophy seemed pointless fence railing. government PLOY was Mobile : (016) 5450320 Your Community Newspaper IPOH ECHO July 16 - 31, 2008 3 www.ipohecho.com From the Editor’s Desk By Fathol Zaman Bukhari IPOH echo Your Community Newspaper IT STARTED OFF QUIETLY ENOUGH, AND THEN . A dangerous relic is dicovered . a plane is ditched into a garden pond . and a former MB loses his cool June seemed to be lining tax payers a few million pick a populated area to doors there were This prompted Sungei up as a run-of-the-mill ringgit. train? And finally, was the some decidedly Rapat Assemblywoman, sort of month. The only Which, of course plane airworthy? heated exchanges Hamidah Osman, to ut- event of any significance prompts the question: could According to a source taking place in- ter some derogatory re- slated for the 30 day a 67-year bomb really pose the trainee pilot was being doors. marks to the Speaker, V. period was the first sit- a danger after laying in wa- tested on switch-off and At the State Sivakumar. She declared ting of the Perak State ter for so long? switch-on drill. This in- L e g i s l a t i v e unabashedly: “I didn’t Legislative Assembly. Five days later, around volves switching off the en- Assembly, Tajol agree with the statement But then things began to lunchtime, an Eagle 150B gine and allowing the plane Rosli and his 28 but I wanted the Speaker Barisan Nasional to agree with me.” assemblymen, in A total of 24 police a rather unbecom- reports were made against ing show of pique, her throughout the coun- marched out of the try.