SIBU, March 24: A group of thieves probably thought it was a good idea to conduct a break-in during the movement control order when there would be fewer people around, but they only landed themselves in handcuffs for their trouble.
Sibu District Police Chief ACP Stanley Jonathan Ringgit revealed police had arrested four people, believed to be part of the same group, over two separate days for breaking into a plywood mill along Jalan Durin.
On Friday (March 20), alert factory workers who happened to be outside the premises at around 12.13pm conducted a citizen’s arrest on two of the suspects, aged 31 and 49.
According to Stanley, the workers had earlier spotted occupants in a Perodua Kancil nearby behaving suspiciously. They observed a man exiting the vehicle with a hammer and entering the premises through a hole in the fence before the latter used the hammer to break the padlock securing the gate of the premises.
The two workers then approached the suspect and questioned him. When the latter failed to give satisfactory answers, the workers arrested him and his accomplice, before turning them over to the police who were called to the scene.
Meanwhile, the remaining two suspects, aged 36 and 38, were caught by an auxiliary policeman for allegedly trespassing at the same location at 11.15am today.
Stanley revealed the police also seized various tools believed to have been used by the two suspects to commit crimes, including a Yamaha LC 135 motorcycle, two hammers, saws, wire cutters and pipe spears.
Some of the suspects also had previous criminal records involving various offenses.
The suspects will be remanded and both cases investigated under Section 448 of the Penal Code. — DayakDaily
