Public voice their frustration with police’s slow probe of lorry thefts

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Alan Ling (five from right) with the owners of lorries, holding one of the police reports lodged on missing lorries after the press conference.

MIRI: Lorry owners here have vented their frustration on Miri police for sluggish feedback in investigation of stolen lorries, backed up by a tame recovery rate of only two out of 25 missing.

They voiced out their frustrations during a press conference held at the Democratic Action Party (DAP) Piasau service centre at Jalam Permaisuri on Monday morning, chaired by Alan Ling Sie Kiong, who is Piasau assemblyman.

More than 20 lorry owners were present during the press conference yesterday, with the majority of owners feeling discouraged at the sluggishness of Miri police force in handling the investigations.

“From the month of July this year until November, 15 lorries were reported missing… and police reports had been lodged by the owners at police stations, unfortunately, none of these lorries have been recovered although we have provided them (police) the crucial information on the suspects,” said a spokesperson for one of the owners, Siti Fatimah.

She said the 15 lorries lost were estimated to be around RM5 million.

“We believed that there are syndicates involved,” said Alan Ling.

“We urge the Sarawak IPK and Bukit Aman to combat this matter (theft of lorries) by setting up a special task force,” Ling added.

“These lorries are not smartphones that you can easily pocket to prevent being stolen. they are huge vehicles and I am sad at the way the police are handling this matter,” expressed Ling.

Ling added that police should erect frequent roadblocks to prevent and combat the crime (theft of lorries that had been rampant lately).

“We need to see more pro-active action from the police side in handling this matter… lack of enforcement would make such crime even more rampant. I dare say that if you give hampers, then the police will show up and conduct roadblocks,” Ling said tongue in cheek.

Meanwhile, Miri police chief ACP Gan Tian Kee, when contacted by The Borneo Post, quashed allegations made by the group by disclosing that from Jan 1 this year (2014) to Dec 7, a total of 25 lorries were reported stolen, of which two (lorries) had been recovered.

“We have made six arrests in connection with cases involving the stolen lorries (from the period given – January until December),” said Gan.

“It was not fair to say that police did not do anything on the case,” he added.

He said police conducted relentless investigations on the case(s) once reports are lodged.

“Sarawak IPK is aware of the case and they are doing their best in following up on those cases.

“Police are still trying to locate other suspects and the missing lorries,” explained Gan.