"Wanted" Criminal Busted

KUCHING: Residents at Jalan Urat Mata can breathe a little easier after police arrested a habitual criminal suspected of committing snatch thefts and other criminal activities in the area.

The suspect (left) comes face-to-face with his ‘wanted poster’ after leading police to Jalan Urat Mata, where he allegedly committed the snatch theft on Oct 6.

The 35-year-old suspect was detained at a house in Malihah yesterday morning by a D9 team from district police headquarters led by its officer-in-charge Inspector Lee Chee Keat, following a tip-off.

The D9 team also seized a motorcycle belonging to the suspect, which he could have used for criminal activities.

His ‘wanted poster’ had been put up in several spots along Jalan Urat Mata by concerned citizens following an incident on Oct 6 where the suspect and an accomplice allegedly snatched an RM18,000 gold necklace from a male resident.

A screen grab from a closed-circuit television (CCTV) recording that showed the pair escaping on a motorcycle went viral on social media, along with a mugshot of the suspect who had been identified by the victim.

Several similar crimes occurred along Jalan Urat Mata in the few days after the snatch theft, including one where a reporter from a Chinese daily lost his camera to two snatch thieves while he was meeting residents for a follow-up on the earlier case.

Frustrated residents told the police of their concern on the worsening street crime and house break-ins in their neighbourhood.

Their petition led to their meeting with state deputy police commissioner Datuk Dr Chai Khin Chung, who led a delegation of top cops from state and district level to go to the ground for a clearer picture of the situation, and to discuss crime fighting strategies in the area. - BP