‘SUSPECT A HARDCORE DRUG ADDICT’
He acts alone in committing crimes despite being a gang member, says KL police chief
THE man who brutally assaulted and robbed a woman in a lift at the Taman Mutiara Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station in Cheras here on Thursday is a gang member who was believed to have been high on methamphetamine.
However, police believe that he could have been acting as a “lone ranger” as his crimes were not related to Gang 08, of which he is a known member.
City police chief Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim said the man, who was arrested on Monday, had admitted to at least eight crimes in Cheras, including robbery and car theft.
“He has a criminal record for drug-related offences under Sections 12(2) and 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for taking and being in possession of drugs, and Sections 324 and 395 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means and gang robbery.
“Based on investigations, we believe that he is a lone ranger when committing crimes,” he said at the city police headquarters here.
Mazlan said the man had been committing crimes since 2014.
“He is a hardcore drug addict. When he does not have a job, he will commit robbery so that he can buy drugs.”
Police have obtained a sevenday remand order to detain the man to facilitate investigations into the case, which has been classified under Section 394 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery.
Mazlan said the 26-year-old suspect was arrested in Taman Cheras at 8.10pm on Monday.
“The man, an air conditioning technician, hid in his flat after the incident.
“After days of surveillance, a team from the Cheras police headquarters’ serious crimes division raided his unit.
“When the team entered his unit, the man was shaving his head to hide his identity.”
He said investigations revealed that the man had robbed a convenience store near the MRT station before he followed the 48year-old woman into the lift.
“We identified the suspect based on a closed-circuit television (CCTV) recording retrieved from the convenience store.
“He tested positive for ecstasy and methamphetamine,” he said, adding that police seized 19 mobile phones, several bank cards, Touch ’n Go cards and a red Modenas Kriss motorcycle used by suspect.
The incident came to light when the CCTV recording of a woman being beaten up and robbed in a lift went viral, resulting in netizens’ outcry.
The woman was alone with the assailant in the lift in the 6.45am incident.
The victim suffered injuries and lost RM400 in the robbery.