The body of a taxi driver with multiple stab wounds was found in his vehicle in front of a car service centre in Jalan Terengganu here today.

Kh'ng Keong Hoe, 56, was found in a pool of blood in the rear seat of the blue Naza Citra taxi about 1.50am.

The victim, from Pulau Tikus sustained five stab wounds on the neck, chest and back.

Northeast district police chief, ACP Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said police suspect Kh'ng was murdered elsewhere before his body was dumped in the taxi.

He said the body was sent to the Penang Hospital.

"We are trying to determine the motive of the killing and are in the midst of obtaining footage from a closed-circuit television camera if there is any installed in the area," he added.

Meanwhile in Bukit Mertajam, the police crippled a car-jacking syndicate with the arrest of three men and three women during two raids in Kepala Batas near here on Friday.

Seberang Perai Tengah police chief, ACP Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abdul Hamid said six vehicles reported stolen in Kedah, Penang and Selangor were recovered as a result of the arrests.

They comprised Honda CRV, Honda Accord, Isuzu, Perodua Alza, Proton Wira and Mitsubishi Triton.

Nik Ros Azhan said in the first raid, three women and two men, aged between 20 abd 29 were nabbed by a police team when it raided a house in Taman Bertam Ria, Kepala Batas.

Four stolen vehicles were seized in the raid.

He said following the arrest, police raided another house in the same locality and picked up a 36-year-old man suspected to be the syndicate's mastermind.

"Here, the police seized the other two vehicles and various tools meant for vehicle theft," he added. -- BERNAMA