KUALA LUMPUR: From causing turmoil in bank offices to murder, rogue repossessors are determined to protect their lucrative black market forged from selling repossessed vehicles.
The NST Focus was recently alerted to a disturbing incident, in which one of the syndicates launched an audacious ambush on a bank headquarters, demanding the release of a repossessed vehicle.
"A few of them went up to level 12 to see the person in charge while others were lingering in the lobby," a source with knowledge on the matter said, adding that police had to be called in to control the situation.
Brickfields police chief Assistant Commissioner of Police Amihizam Abdul Shukor confirmed that a report was lodged and that the uproar at the bank headquarters was due to dissatisfaction with a car being towed.
It is learnt that the car involved had a protection sticker issued by the 8686 Repo Team.
NST Focus sighted another report lodged by a 28-year-old towing agent, who was stopped by some 20 men.
"They said they will never let me go until they get hold of the repossessed car and I will never be able to see my children and wife.
"I was told to follow them to a restaurant to talk, but I refused. They then tried to force me into a van," he said, adding that he was threatened not to lodge a police report.
Meanwhile, Ahmad (not his real name), a repossessor who has been in the industry for 15 years, shared how an acquaintance was stabbed to death after recovering a car with a protection sticker.
"After he managed to repossess the car (in Johor), the repossessor was heading for Kuala Lumpur when he was followed, intercepted and stabbed to death on the highway," he said.
The agent was referring to a case involving the killing of a repossessor on Dec 20, 2020.
The 34-year-old man was reported to have been killed by members of a secret society group known as Ngo Seik Kee or "5 colours". A few members of the group were arrested and charged in court over the killing.
Ahmad said fights often erupted between repossession groups offering protection stickers.
"When we repossess their cars (with the protection sticker), they will also repossess our cars.
"So after a while, we get into fistfights," he said, adding that he and others had also been arrested for getting into fights.
Another repossessor called Kumar (not his real name) had his car and tow truck set on fire after repossessing a car with a protection sticker.
"My tow truck was set on fire in 2018. I had a hard time putting food on the table. My house was broken into and my car batteries were also removed. I couldn't do anything. I was so angry that I wanted to get revenge.
"I lodged a report and hired a lawyer. I was ready to go to jail for as long as I was able to get revenge on them. After I showed them my true colours, they toned down," he said.
He also had his house smeared with red paint and his car windows were broken.
"My house was splashed with red paint and all my neighbours saw it and asked what type of job I was doing. My good name was smeared.
"I had to repaint my house on my own. The banks didn't help me. Even when I lodged a report, there was no action taken, so I am stuck in between and can't do anything," he said.
He claimed to have also been chased by machete-wielding rogue repossessors.
"When I reported this to the police, they asked if I suffered any injuries. I said, no, and they said, 'Then it is okay'.
"But I told the police that they threatened me with a weapon, and they replied 'Who asked you to enter their area?'
"So when you get that kind of answers, what else could I say? They wanted to wait until I suffer injuries then only act," he claimed.
Kumar, who has been in the industry for 11 years, questioned why the police didn't take any action to weed out secret societies and crack down on the use of protection stickers.
NST Focus had attempted to reach out to the police but has yet to receive a response at press time.