By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 7: Miri police successfully busted a house break-in syndicate believed to be active around the city with the arrest of five local men within five hours of a burglary at a residence in Luak Bay on Sept 4.
Miri District Police Chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said a couple had returned home around 12.40pm only to find their house had been broken into, with valuables worth about RM80,000 missing.
“Among the stolen items were 17 branded wristwatches, two gold necklaces, seven gold bracelets, three gold rings, three mobile phones, two laptops, several bottles of perfume, personal documents and RM30,000 cash,” he revealed in a statement today.
Acting swiftly on the police report, a team from Miri District Police Headquarters tracked down and arrested all five suspects, aged between 32 and 42, around Miri on the same day.
“Some of the stolen items were also recovered, while efforts are still ongoing to trace the remaining valuables,” he said, while expressing appreciation to members of the public whose cooperation led to the swift arrests and seizures.
Preliminary checks found that four of the five suspects have prior criminal records involving theft, house break-ins and drug abuse. With this success, police also managed to solve three other break-in cases reported in Miri this year.
All suspects are currently under remand until Sept 10 to assist investigations under Section 457 of the Penal Code which carries a jail sentence of up to 14 years, and for repeat offenders, whipping or fines may also be imposed.
Urine tests on the suspects also returned positive for methamphetamine, and they are being investigated under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which provides for a fine not exceeding RM5,000 or imprisonment of up to two years upon conviction.
Mohd Farhan reminded the public not to spread unverified information on social media that could cause unnecessary anxiety, and to always remain vigilant about their surroundings.
Those with information related to the case may contact Investigating Officer Sergeant Dayang Hamidah at 013-8032715 / 085-432533 or approach the nearest police station. – DayakDaily
