THREE 19-year-old men were allegedly paid between RM500 and RM1,000 for each act of vandalism, including throwing burning petrol-filled bottles at houses, in a series of attacks across five states since September.
Perak police chief Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin said the suspects — two college students and a storekeeper — were arrested in raids at three separate locations in Penang on Oct 22.
Initial investigations found that the trio allegedly received instructions from unidentified individuals through WhatsApp, with payments transferred into their bank accounts.
“They received RM500 for each paint attack, while throwing a petrol-filled bottle that had been set alight earned them RM1,000,” he told a press conference at the Perak police contingent headquarters in Ipoh today.
Mohd Alwi said the suspects allegedly photographed the scenes after carrying out the attacks and sent the images to the people who hired them as proof before receiving payment.
Police believe the group began operating in September and carried out attacks in several states, sometimes targeting two or three states on the same day.
The arrests have enabled police to solve nine vandalism cases in five states: three in Kedah, two each in Perak and Johor, and one each in Penang and Selangor.
In Perak, the first reported incident occurred on Sept 19 at a house in Taman Pura Jaya, Simpang, Taiping, where two men allegedly splashed red paint on the property before throwing a burning bottle containing petrol at it.
A second incident was reported on Oct 10, when two men allegedly splashed red paint on a house in Taman Sri Larut, Simpang, Taiping, as well as a neighbouring house.
The first case is being investigated under Section 435 of the Penal Code, while the second falls under Section 427.
Police seized three mobile phones, clothing believed to have been worn during the attacks and three vehicles — a grey Proton X70, a white Nissan Teana and a black Honda City — during the raids.
Mohd Alwi said the suspects had no previous criminal records. Police are also tracking another individual believed to be involved, while the identity of the person or people who allegedly recruited and paid the suspects remains unknown.
He said investigations were continuing to establish the motive and how the suspects were recruited.
Section 427 of the Penal Code provides for imprisonment of between one and five years, a fine, or both, while Section 435 carries a prison term of up to 14 years and a possible fine. - October 27, 2026