AT ABOUT 8am on Feb 18, lorry driver Abdul Manan Ismail and four accomplices stole two stainless steel tables from a coffee shop in Senoko Way.

Police arrested him and investigations revealed that he and the group were responsible for more than $49,000 worth of metal thefts from last October.

The 46-year-old was jailed for a year and two months on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to five theft charges. Seven other charges were considered by the judge in sentencing.

Accomplices Muhd Rizal Kasim, 18, Muhammad Isa Abdul Mutalib and Mohammad Haris Haron, both 16, and the only woman in the group, Latiffah Abdullah, 32, were also caught but they have not been dealt with.

Manan's stealing spree started on Oct 6, when he drove his lorry into the Jebsen & Jessen Packaging premises at Enterprise Road at 5.30pm. He loaded up his lorry with parts of 22 metal moulds, valued at $44,000, and drove off.

The theft was discovered two days later and police were informed. Until his arrest in February, Manan and his accomplices used his lorry and stole zinc sheets and scrap metal from scrapyards as well as stainless steel tables and cupboards from coffee shops.

Manan sold the metal items for an undisclosed sum of money.

He could have been fined and jailed up to three years.

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