Published on: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 |
Kota Kinabalu: In a sad twist of fate, a group of local boys long abandoned by their families, has been resorting to a life of crime to keep themselves going.
But police brought their crime spree to an end after two of the boys were nabbed for a series of car break-ins in the Luyang and Bukit Padang areas here.
The activities of the youngsters, all of whom are thought to be school dropouts, have highlighted a problem which was hitherto often perceived to one associated with foreigners.
City Police Chief ACP Jauteh Dikun on Tuesday said the boys aged between 13 and 15 were nabbed with help from the public at 6pm on Jan 15 in Luyang after the car owner caught them in the act.
The boys, he said, confessed to being responsible for five car break-in cases and were believed to have been actively involved in the activity between late last year and early this year with help from three other accomplices.
"Police are now on the lookout for the three who are believed to be friends and relatives to the duo," he said, adding the remaining three are also teenagers.
He said preliminary investigations showed they are from the same neighbourhood but don't live in permanent houses as they were abandoned by their families on shifting to another area.
"We are still investigating the estimated losses and believe there might be those who did not lodge a report," he said, adding that they confiscated a Sony PlayStation Portable from the duo.
He also advised people not to keep their belongings in their cars and if need so, to store it out of sight from potential thieves, urging those sighting any suspicious looking boys in the area to immediately inform the police.
On another case, he said, two local men, both 20, were arrested on suspicion of being responsible for five robbery cases committed in separate business premises within the city between Jan 8 and Jan 18.
Jauteh said, the first suspect was arrested at 10am on Jan 18, which led to the arrest of a second suspect on Jan 19. It was learnt that both worked as waiters in a restaurant.
He said their modus operandi was to enter premises on the pretext of buying a drink before threatening those manning the premises with a knife and making off with the money grabbed from the cash register.
"Their arrest also led to the confiscation of RM10,450 believed to be earnings from the robbery," said Jauteh, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 395/ 397.
On another development, he said, two Ukrainian women were hauled in at 4.20pm on Jan 21 on suspicion of being involved in vice activities in Jalan Lintas here.
He said a total of RM1, 000 and several condoms were confiscated from the duo aged 24 and 27.
The women, he said, were believed to have entered the State on Jan 18 however investigations are still being carried out on whether they were part of a syndicate.
Also present were City Deputy Police Chief Supt. M. Chandra and other senior officers.
