Citizen’s Arrest Foils Crime Claims
Awoman’s bag was allegedly grabbed as she stepped out of a bank at the Damodar City Centre in Grantham Road, Suva, yesterday. The suspect was said to have ran into Telau Street to a supposed getaway car.
It appeared to be a well-planned hit until members of the public decided to intervene.
It was just before 10am. Tamani Rarama, 28, was on his way to work when he saw a man get into a black hybrid parked at the street.
“He (suspect) got in and said ‘Toso! Toso’ (Move! Move!),” Mr Rarama said.
“I looked down the street and saw this woman coming up and a crowd forming in front of Damodar City,” he said.
“Luckily, the car would not start. At that point I knew something was wrong. I took out my phone and started recording everything.”
The man, who had grabbed the bag, was lying in the back seat as the victim came up. By this time some more people had also come to where the car was.
“I pointed out that the robber was in the back seat. There were two other men. One was the driver of the car, the other just strolled across the street,” Mr Raramu claimed.
“The driver of the vehicle was pretending like he did not know the robber. A taxi driver came and opened the back door and got the robber out,” he said.
“I told the taxi driver not to hurt the robber as I was recording the whole thing. The driver of the car was pretending that he was wanting to jumper his car.”
Altering plate numbers
Mr Raramu claimed that the number plate at the rear back of the car was altered with a white tape, therefore the front and back plate numbers were different.
The taxi driver, who apprehended the robber, he said, took both men including the driver to Raiwaqa Police Station.
A woman from a nearby home who identified herself as Eta confirmed that she saw three men and Mr Raramu’s version of the story.
Police spokesperson Savaira Tabua confirmed the two men were in Police custody and the suspect was wanted by Police for other similar alleged offences. Police chief operations officer Assistant Commissioner of Police Abdul Khan thanked the members of the public for working together.
He said this was the type of co-operation and unity needed to fight crime.