‘Cops solve 80 cases in Miri in past two months’
MIRI: The police have solved 80 cases during their crime prevention operations here over the past two months, and recovered many stolen items.
Speaking at a press conference in the central police station here yesterday, Miri police chief ACP Lim Meng Seah said 25 arrests were made in the two months involving criminals aged between 11 and 52 years old. The majority of them were charged in court for offences such as housebreaking, vehicle break-ins, street robbery, theft in building and theft of communication devices.
Deputy police chief Supt Mohd Sabri Zainol and Criminal Investigations Department (CID) chief DSP Lee Swee Sakewere a l so present at t he press conference.
“I urge the owners who have or have not reported their missing items to come to the station to identify and take them (items). These are among the remaining items that cannot be returned to the owners because they (owners) may not know that their goods have been found by the police,” Lim said, as he showed to reporters some of the recovered items.
He also disclosed that earlier yesterday, his men succeeded in recovering a three- tonne lorry which was reported missing in Pujut on Dec 24; and the arrest of a 43-year- old suspect at the Bintang Mega Mall area after a chase with the police from the Permy Bypass.
A robbery involving a 25-yearold victim at Taman Bumiko on Dec 21 was solved within 48 hours, with the arrest of several suspects with prior criminal records two days ago in Sibu. A car, believed to have been used during the crime, was also seized – the case still under investigation.
It is said that the victim was jogging in the area when he was hit by a car from behind – according to witnesses, five masked men with one of them armed with a machete rushed out of the vehicle and grabbed the victim’s mobile phone and gold chain before fleeing the scene.
The victim was left with minor injuries.
In another development, Lim said the crime rate in the city was still under control – moreover, it had declined by one per cent.
“The population is growing; thus it (the percentage of crime) depends on the number of local residents ( per 100,000). It is less likely that with an increasing population, the number of crimes is also reduced,” he said.
Lim also advised the public to take care of their own property and to not put valuable items in their vehicles.
“With the increasing house break-ins reported in the past few months, I would like to urge the public going away for a few days to inform the police station nearest to them, or their neighbours, about their absence, because criminals tend to target unoccupied houses.
“The suspect who broke into the residence of Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting, wi l l be charged in court soon,” he added.