Eight illegals nabbed in Tawau over break-ins
By Alen Kee
TAWAU: Following the increase in housebreaking cases in the district, the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of the Tawau District Police Headquarters has launched ‘OPS Pintu' to crush the burglary network and succeeded in arresting eight illegal immigrants and solving 10 reported cases.
District police chief ACP Peter AK Umbuas said on November 3 at about 9 am in front of a restaurant at Lorong Pasaraya 1, Jalan Pasaraya 2 here, police arrested a 30-year-old Filipino man on suspicion of involvement with burglary cases.
He said the results of the investigation and intelligence conducted led to the arrests of the suspect's seven accomplices, comprising Indonesians and Filipinos, ranging in age from 19 to 36 years.
All the suspects were arrested around Tawau between November 3 and 16 and all those arrested did not have valid identification documents, he said.
Peter said police have also managed to seize various items suspected of being stolen property, such as appliances and household items as well as mobile phones of various brands. The total loss is estimated at about RM35,000 based on the reported losses by complainants.
He said the modus operandi used by the suspects is to pry the doors, windows and roof to gain entry into the premises. The suspects targeted houses, religious premises and business premises.
He said checks on past criminal records found several of the suspects were involved in burglary and theft cases as well as drug abuse.
With the arrest of all eight suspects involved, as many as 10 burglary cases in the district were solved, he said adding that other accomplices who are still at large have been identified and police are tracking down the suspects.
Peter said housebreaking is a nuisance to society because it involves trespassing into residences and premises. The crime not only results in the loss of valuable property but also causes the community to feel threatened when their homes were invaded.
He said housebreaking crime statistics in 2020 have shown a decrease of 18 percent compared to 2019 for the same period. However, the number of cases for the period of July 2020 to October 2020 has shown an increasing trend of 56 cases for that period.