KOTA KINABALU: With a cigarette on his lips, a man walked up unhurriedly to a parked car behind a workshop while looking to see if anyone else was around.
He then popped open the hood and proceeded to remove the battery before walking away with it.
But the man was unware his brazen act and another attempt on a four-wheel-drive vehicle were caught on closed-circuit television (CCTV).
The clips were shared online, quickly going viral, and the police managed to arrest the 27-year-old suspect in Sabah’s southwestern Papar district.
Papar police chief Supt Kamaruddin Ambo Sakka said they managed to locate the suspect, a foreigner, at Rumah Pangsa Kinarut, off Jalan Lama Papar, at 5pm on Sunday.
He said the suspect had stolen the car battery near the workshop in Taman Limauan, Kinarut.
Based on the CCTV recording, Supt Kamaruddin added, the suspect was seen at the same premises twice, the first at 1.54am on Sept 16 and 11pm on Sept 22.
The workshop owner lodged a report after finding the battery of a Perodua Kancil car he was supposed to repair missing the following morning.
Acting on a tip-off, Supt Kamaruddin said police stormed a house at Rumah Pangsa Kinarut.
“We arrested the man there and found in his possession, among others, a suspected stolen car battery and a parang,” he said.
He added that the police will apply for an order to remand the suspect for four days for investigations under Section 379 of the Penal Code for theft.
Supt Kamaruddin urged the public to immediately call the Papar police at 088-912222 if they notice any suspicious activities.
“Business owners are also urged to instal CCTV cameras at their shops for safety reasons,” he said.
