JOHOR BARU: Police are investigating two separate vehicle thefts following reports of a stolen motorcycle and car, with three arrests made so far.
Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat said the first incident, which occurred in the early hours of Monday (Dec 2), involved the theft of a motorcycle from the parking area of a hotel along Jalan Trus.
“The victim, a 23-year-old Singaporean event manager, discovered that his motorcycle had gone missing at 4.44am.
“CCTV footage captured two individuals riding a motorcycle entering the parking area and one rode off on the victim's bike,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (Dec 3).
ACP Raub added that the victim lodged a police report later on Monday and estimated his loss at RM7,000.
He added that investigations are ongoing as authorities work to identify and apprehend the suspects.
In a separate case, a 56-year-old local man reported that his car was stolen from a parking lot in Bayu Puteri at 8.30am on Nov 11.
“The vehicle was believed to have been stolen while parked overnight.
“After receiving the report, we launched ‘Ops Lejang', a special operation targeting car thefts.
“On Dec 3, three men aged between 20 and 39 were arrested at a hotel in Jalan Bayu Puteri, and the stolen vehicle was recovered along with a device believed to have been used to start the car,” he said.
ACP Raub added that police checks revealed that one of the suspects had 21 offences on his criminal record, while the others had no priors.
All three suspects tested positive for methamphetamine and are under remand until Friday (Dec 6).
Both cases are being investigated under Section 379A of the Penal Code for vehicle theft.
ACP Raub urged the public to take precautions with their vehicles, ensuring that they are securely locked and equipped with additional theft prevention measures.
“We are calling on anyone with information on either case to contact the Johor Baru South Police Hotline at 07-2182323 or visit the nearest police station,” he added.