SEPANG, May 27 -- Five police officers allegedly on the payroll of a cable theft syndicate were among 16 individuals arrested after Selangor police crippled the syndicate's year-long operation near Kampung Desa Putra here.

Selangor police chief Commissioner Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the officers were allegedly paid between RM1,000 and RM2,000 each in exchange for confidential information on police crime prevention activities in the area where the syndicate operated.

"The stolen cables were burned to extract the metal, which was then sold to a scrap metal yard in Semenyih. The syndicate reaped hefty profits of around RM683,000.

"The spoils were distributed among the members, including the police officers, according to their roles," h...