Banting Raja, captured on Tuesday, is a seasonal criminal

The Star, Feb 12 2009

SEPANG: One of Selangor’s most wanted criminals, Banting Raja, who was captured during a lorry hijacking on Tuesday is a seasoned criminal involved in at least 14 cases.

The criminal who is from Kuala Langat is wanted for numerous offences that included house break-ins, armed robberies and hijackings.

An accomplice who was caught along with him has seven past criminal cases.

The two were caught after their position was given away by a tracking system in the trailer.

The men, both 44, had hijacked the trailer, laden with plastic pellets and steel coils worth around RM150,000, at the Dengkil rest and recreation area at 3.20am, as its driver was sleeping.

The suspects smashed the driver’s side window with an iron rod before threatening the driver.

They then tied him up and put him in the back before driving off.

However, a lorry driver who witnessed the incident notified the police.

Police personnel from Sepang, Negri Sembilan and Alor Gajah intercepted the trailer at the 205th kilometre of the Alor Gajah road at around 5.30am.

Banting Raja and his accomplice tried to make a run for it, but were overpowered after a brief struggle.

Selangor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said yesterday that police suspected the trailer driver may be involved in the hijacking and had remanded him.

**********

2009/02/12

Two former cell mates see their hijacking plans unravel

NST

SEPANG: While they were at the Simpang Renggam detention centre last year, they planned several hijacks.

The two former detainees put one of those plans into action early Tuesday.

Just over an hour later, police nabbed both men and recovered the lorry laden with plastic pallets and metal coils they had hijacked.

The duo, nicknamed "Banting Raja" and "Raja", were armed with parang and had taken the lorry at the Dengkil rest area of the North-South Expressway (NSE) at 3.20am after tying up the driver and putting him behind the driver's seat.

However, several people witnessed the incident and alerted police. The company which owned the lorry was also informed and tracked the vehicle using a global positioning system.
Selangor, Malacca and Negri Sembilan police mounted a joint ambush at Km205 of the NSE and nabbed the duo.

Sources said Banting Raja, 45, made a name for himself as a ruthless gangster in Banting. He had 14 previous convictions for various crimes.

Raja, 44, is from Kluang, Johor and has seven previous convictions.

He had been sent to the Pulau Jerejak penal colony for involvement in secret societies.

Sources said both men had been detained in Simpang Renggam last year and struck up a friendship.

Banting Raja was released in July last year while Raja was released in December.

Following their release, both men decided to put their plan into action.

Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said yesterday the lorry driver, 38, had also been detained to help with investigations.

All three men have been remanded until Feb 16.