GEORGE TOWN: It’s dirty and smelly, but a thief still finds it worthwhile to sneak into a wet market in Batu Lanchang.
A trader found his fish kept inside a polystyrene box missing when he opened his stall yesterday morning.
CCTV footage shows a man wearing a cap, jacket, long pants and sneakers walking off with a polystyrene box containing 20kg of Scombrids (ikan tongkol) at about 2am.
Fishmonger Tan Kwang Kiat, 44, said his latest loss was about RM200 and it was not the first time traders there had been targeted.
“Actually, the polystyrene box was sealed and I think the thief had no idea what was inside when he took it.
“Fortunately, that box was placed on top of other more valuable fish,” he said yesterday.
A police report has been lodged along with a copy of the CCTV footage.
Caught on camera: Tan showing the CCTV footage and a copy of his police report after he lost about 20kg of fish stored in a polystyrene box after it was stolen before the wet market opened in Batu Lanchang, Penang. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
Tan recalled losing grouper and pomfret worth RM3,000 which had been left unattended at the loading bay in March.
“Suppliers delivered the stock earlier than scheduled, and we were not informed about it.
“When we arrived in the morning, the fish was gone.
“Other fishmongers had also complained about missing stock in the past,” he added.
Batu Lanchang assemblyman Ong Ah Teong said the Penang Island City Council has approved his request to add more CCTV cameras around the market to improve security.
He believes yesterday’s incident is the third case reported at the market in recent times.
