PETALING JAYA: He looked like a food delivery rider going about his daily errands, but that was only a front.
The man was actually a snatch thief who preyed on people walking along the road. He would snatch their mobile phones and bags before fleeing.
Even the food delivery bag on his bike and the t-shirt he wore were stolen. But he could not get away with it for long.
Based on intelligence received, police raided a housing area along Jalan Gasing Indah and arrested the 25-year-old man at around 6.30pm on Feb 22.
Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Mohamad Fakhrudin Abdul Hamid said police were alerted after a man lodged a report that his mobile phone was snatched while walking near Plaza 33 here on Feb 21.
“The 25-year-old victim said the suspect was riding a motorcycle with a food delivery bag,” he told reporters at the Petaling Jaya police headquarters yesterday.
“The suspect confessed and told police he sold the mobile phone to an accomplice.
“About two hours later, we arrested a 32-year-old man at Kampung Pantai Dalam in Kuala Lumpur and seized what is believed to be the stolen phone,” he said.
The suspected thief had a record for robbery and vehicle theft while the second suspect had drug related offences on his record.
In an unrelated case, ACP Mohamad Fakhrudin said police arrested a man who went around stealing old and abandoned vehicles.
“Among the vehicles recovered were a Perodua Kancil that was reported stolen nearly six years ago.
The vehicle went missing from a parking lot at Desa Mentari on June 19, 2017.
“On March 1, a team went to Jalan Wawasan Pusat Bandar Puchong and arrested a 32-year-old man,” he said, adding police seized two Proton Wira, a Proton Perdana and a Proton Saga parked behind the suspects house.
“The suspect confessed to car thefts and said he hid a stolen vehicle in Sungai Way,” he said, adding that the stolen Perodua Kancil was found at the Sri Subang Apartments.