Chapter 13: "Police Station or Comedy Club?"

After nearly a week of gathering evidence and conducting a quiet investigation, Aiman and his gang finally decided to report the case to the authorities. They were now confident that the fake Raya cookies syndicate was not just a wild theory but an actual criminal operation happening around Johor Bahru.

However, their first challenge was not catching the real mastermind but convincing the police that this was a serious case—not just a prank by a bunch of kids bored from fasting.

The Trip to the Station

That day, after the Asar prayer, Aiman, Badrul, Johan, and Din gathered in front of Aiman's house. They had discussed it the night before and agreed to go to the Larkin Police Station. They chose the late afternoon to avoid interfering with their families' iftar preparations.

"Are we really doing this?" Johan asked, still uncertain. "What if the police don’t believe us?"

"We have to try," Aiman replied firmly. "If we stay quiet, who's going to stand up for all the shops that got scammed?"

Badrul nodded. "Besides, we have proof. Photos, receipts, and the cookies we bought at Taman Universiti—everything’s in my bag."

"Let's just hope the cops don’t think we’re some primary school detectives," Din added with a deep sigh.

With a mix of excitement and nervousness, they boarded a bus from the village junction heading to Larkin. During the ride, they reminisced about their childhood bus trips to town—who used to fight for the back seats, who liked standing by the door pretending to be a "Tamil movie hero," just like Rajinikanth in Baasha.

When they arrived at the police station, they got off the bus and walked confidently toward the entrance.

"What Kind of Report Are These Kids Making?"

Inside the station, it was relatively quiet. A few officers were chatting, likely waiting for iftar. At the report counter, a stocky police officer was typing something on a computer. His nametag read Sergeant Razali.

Aiman swallowed nervously and approached the counter.

"Good evening, Sergeant. We'd like to file a report on a case of stolen Raya cookies and a large-scale fraud operation," he said with full confidence.

Sergeant Razali looked them up and down, his brow furrowing. "Raya cookies?"

"Yes, Raya cookies," Johan interjected. "There’s a syndicate stealing cookies from shops and reselling them under a different brand. We have proof!"

Sergeant Razali sighed and leaned back in his chair. "School kids reporting missing cookies? This is a first for me as a cop."

"It’s not just about missing cookies, Sergeant," Din added. "This is a real crime. We’ve been investigating for a week. There are people pretending to be traditional cookie makers and selling stolen cookies at night markets."

Badrul quickly unzipped his bag and pulled out the evidence—photos of the cookies, purchase receipts, and a list of affected stores. He laid them all out on the counter.

Sergeant Razali picked up a photo and examined it, raising an eyebrow before turning to another officer sitting behind him.

"Lanis, take a look at this," he said, holding up a picture of the cookies.

The officer named Lanis came over and glanced at the evidence Aiman's gang had brought. "These look just like the ones at the bazaar, don’t they?"

"Yeah, but these are stolen!" Johan insisted.

Sergeant Razali still looked skeptical. He picked up a receipt and inspected the business stamp on the paper.

"Okay, this company name… Kuih Tradisi Sejati... Hmm..." He rubbed his chin.

"Is this company registered in the system?" Lanis asked.

Sergeant Razali typed something into the computer, his eyes focused on the screen. A few seconds later, he let out a small grunt.

"It’s registered, but something’s off… The company was only registered two weeks ago. And the listed address is in Skudai, but when I checked, it’s actually an empty shop lot."

Aiman and his friends exchanged glances.

"Ha! See? We were right!" Din said excitedly. "They used a fake address!"

Sergeant Razali now looked more serious. "Hmmm… If this is true, there’s definitely an element of fraud. But…"

"But what, Sergeant?" Aiman asked anxiously.

Sergeant Razali looked at them, half-serious, half-amused. "We have to follow procedures. If it’s just about missing cookies, it’s hard to prove this is a major crime. But if there’s fraud and brand misuse involved, then we can take action."

"Is there a way to trap them?" Badrul asked.

Sergeant Razali pondered for a moment, then gave a small smile. "You kids… I feel like I’m in Gerak Khas right now."

Johan grinned. "We’re more like Detective Conan, Sergeant."

Lanis chuckled. "This is turning into a real-life Teen Detectives of Ramadan case!"

Sergeant Razali stood up from his chair. "Alright, here’s the plan. We can investigate, but we need more details about their operations. If they’re selling cookies at major bazaars, there must be large cash transactions. If possible, we’ll conduct surveillance tonight."

Aiman and his friends nodded eagerly. They knew this wasn’t a full victory yet, but at least the police were starting to take the case seriously.

"Alright, Sergeant! We’ll help however we can!"

Sergeant Razali smiled and patted Aiman’s shoulder. "Good. But from now on, don’t do anything risky on your own. Leave it to the authorities. Understand?"

"Understood, Sergeant!" they all answered in unison.

They walked out of the station with mixed feelings—relieved that the police were investigating, but also nervous about what would happen next.

Tomorrow night, the JB Ramadan Bazaar would witness a bigger operation.

Their mission wasn’t over yet. And this time, they weren’t alone.