Convenience store robbers nabbed while drinking beer

KUCHING: Two jobless youths were nabbed by police early yesterday while they were enjoying their ill-gotten gains from robbing a 24-hour convenience store.

The suspects, 18 and 21, were in the midst of drinking beer and smoking mini cigars on a concrete bench beneath a tree across Wayang Street when an undercover police team pounced on them around 12.20am.

Police were able to identify the pair from a security camera footage obtained from a 7-Eleven outlet at Carpenter Street which they had robbed some three hours earlier.

District police chief ACP Abang Ahmad Abang Julai, who confirmed the arrests when contacted yesterday, said the suspects had entered the outlet and demanded money and cigarettes from two workers behind the counter.

“They did not brandish a weapon at the time, but demanded for the items from the workers who did as they were told as they did not want to jeopardise their safety,” he said, adding the items taken by the suspects totalled about RM280.

Following a police report lodged over the incident, a police team led by ASP Austin Patrick Angkon combed the area before locating the duo who had already used some the stolen cash to buy themselves cans of beer from a nearby grocery shop, and had nearly finished smoking a pack of mini cigars.

Abang Ahmad further disclosed that subsequent questioning of the suspects revealed that it was not their first time robbing a 7Eleven outlet.

“The suspects admitted to having robbed the same Carpenter Street outlet on Feb 25, as well as another outlet at Jalan McDougall the following day.

“In fact, I was informed that one of the youths even recognised a female worker at the Carpenter Street outlet, as she happened to be on duty during the first robbery,” he revealed.

Among the items recovered from the suspects at the time of their arrest were several packs of cigarettes, about half of the stolen cash, and a small knife.

Both have been placed in the lockup pending further investigation under Section 395 of the Penal Code.

ASP Austin (second right) and his team with the two suspects (third and fifth left) at the scene of the arrest.

Some of the stolen items found on the suspects.