Restaurant worker and cops chase down thief and accomplices

SHAH ALAM: A restaurant worker ran after a thief for almost 20 minutes in the dead of night after the suspect tried to ransack his workplace.

A passing police patrol joined the chase, successfully caught the suspect – and then, by a stroke of luck, nabbed his accomplices as well.

At about 4am on Sunday, Ahmad Faizalli (pic), 30, was walking back to his hostel after hanging out with some friends in the area.

While passing the restaurant where he worked in Seksyen 15 here, he noticed that the doors were open.

He saw some men inside.

“At first I wondered why there were still people in the restaurant, before I realised they were robbers.

“All I cared about at that time was to catch them,” Ahmad said.

He shouted at the thieves who ran off, so he gave chase.

Shah Alam OCPD Asst Comm Shafien Mamat said a police team was patrolling nearby when they spotted Ahmad running after one of the suspects.

“The pursuer shouted for help the moment he saw the police and they chased down the suspect together.

“Police found items used for breaking and entering. And just then, the suspect’s accomplices drove past the area in a van,” ACP Shafien said at the district police headquarters yesterday.

He added that police pursued the van when it sped off.

“Fortunately there were no accidents as there were few cars around at that time.

“The van was finally stopped in Seksyen 17 and we arrested two more suspects,” he said, adding that checks showed the van had been stolen recently.

He added that police had already targeted the group, which had a penchant for robbing eateries, for the last two months.