AMPANG: A 32-year-old man was detained after he reneged on a currency exchange deal and failed to steal US dollars from a customer on Jalan Memanda here.
Ampang Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Azam Ismail said the 39-year-old female victim and her older brother went to meet the suspect to convert US$50,000 (RM236,850) to Malaysian ringgit at about 9pm on May 6.
"Instead of going through with the deal, the suspect grabbed the victim's bag, which was filled with US dollars, and attempted to flee in his car.
"However, members of the public managed to block and apprehend him even before he could unlock his car," he said in a statement on Saturday (May 11).
The suspect was then handed over to the police and arrested, he said.
"The victim only carried US$200 in the bag that was snatched as she was cautious over being duped by the suspect," he said.
Further investigation led to the arrest of a 65-year-old man in Kepala Batas, Penang, at about 12.40pm on Friday (May 10). We also seized his mobile phone, he said.
"The older suspect had four prior criminal records while both suspects tested negative for drugs. Both men have been remanded.
"Their modus operandi is to offer favourable exchange rates to victims before robbing them of their foreign currency cash," ACP Mohd Azam said.
