KUALA LUMPUR: A stolen car driven by a policeman uncovered a can of worms when five personnel attached to the federal CID and Special Branch were arrested for vehicle theft, extortion and corruption on Sunday.

The suspects comprising three lance corporals and two constables were apparently in the midst of trying to dispose a Honda City that was reported stolen in Negri Sembilan when a police team from the Sentul district CID caught one of them.

At about 7pm on Sunday, the police team had trailed the stolen vehicle and approached the driver when he pulled over opposite a restaurant in Kepong.

After a brief struggle with the driver who attempted to escape, the raiding team arrested the man and discovered that he was a lance corporal attached to the federal CID.

Following interrogations, police carried out two other raids between 9pm on Sunday and 3am yesterday where the remaining policemen – two constables and two lance corporals all attached to a covert unit of the federal Special Branch – were detained.

Sources said the suspects who allegedly worked together had arrested a foreigner earlier this month near Bandar Utama and seized the stolen Honda City which was in his possession.

It is learnt that the foreigner was let off the hook after he paid the suspects RM11,000.

The cash was shared among them and the foreigner was freed but the rogue cops kept the stolen car.

The suspects then sought the help of a third party to dispose the stolen car for RM3,000.

It is also learnt that on Sunday, the first suspect was apparently closing the sale of the car when he was nabbed by the police team.

Last week, an inspector attached to the federal police logistics department was arrested in a sting operation for allegedly being involved with an international car theft syndicate headed by a Malaysian high on Interpol's wanted list.