Molotov cocktails thrown at eight vehicles

Petaling Jaya : Two men went on a pre-dawn arson spree, torching seven cars and a school bus by throwing Molotov cocktails at them in SS3, SS4, SS5 and Sunway here.

The attacks were believed to have been carried out between 4am and 6.30am yesterday.

Arson damage: A police personnel examining one of the burnt cars in Petaling Jaya yesterday.

The torched cars were a Honda Civic, a Proton Iswara and a Gen2, a Toyota Harrier, an Audi, a Naza Kia and a Toyota Vios.

A witness who declined to be named, said he saw two men in a four-wheel drive vehicle drive past his house.

One of them, who was standing at the back, lit a Molotov cocktail and threw it towards his car.

All eight vehicle owners lodged police reports.

Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Arjunaidi Mohamad said police were investigating the possibility of a syndicate “forcing” residents in Kelana Jaya to employ the services of a private security firm.

Under probe: Police personnel examining an oil container found at the scene where several cars were burnt in Petaling Jaya yesterday.

“We will check on these claims and ask the residents there if they have been approached by individuals offering residential patrolling services in the area,” he said when contacted last night.

He added that police were also investigating other possible motives behind the attacks.

It is learnt all vehicles were not broken into.

They were parked outside the owners’ homes and located within a radius of five kilometres.

Sources said similar arson incidents had previously occurred in the district this year.