Two weeks ago around 1,400 Samsung Galaxy Note 2 devices were stolen in Malaysia; just a day after the product was released in the country. Malaysian police have now arrested 12 people for the crime which amounted to USD 1.05 million.
According to reports, the phones were stolen on October 20, 2012, from Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s cargo area, where the shipment first came into the country. The device was launched in the country on October 19, 2012, just one day before the theft.
The chief of the country’s Federal Commercial Crime Investigation department Sayed Ismail Syed Azizan said that 12 people were arrested in connection with the crime around Kuala Lumpur, which is also Malaysia’s capital. It is believed that the crime was a co-ordinated effort between all 12 people. So far, only 70 stolen devices have been recovered.
According to a Malaysian daily, if convicted for a theft in a building, the jail term can add up to 10 years as well as a fine. Out of those facing charges, three people had allegedly purchased the phone for less than the official USD 752. There were six other people who were also charged for retaining stolen property, including those who worked in phone shops in Puchong, Seremban, Kuala Lumpur and Sepang.
