Police personnel cordon off the goldsmith shop following the robbery.
KUCHING: A robber pulled off a brazen smash-and-grab– smashing a display case at a goldsmith shop in Carpenter Street and escaped with some jewellery.
The incident took place around 5pm yesterday when the robber – clad in a long-sleeved shirt and wearing a full-face motorcycle helmet – rushed into the shop after making sure that there were no customers present and whipped out a large spanner.
In full view of the elderly shop owner and two female employees, who were all too shocked to react, the perpetrator held the spanner with both hands and repeatedly struck the glass display case, which were not fitted with security bars, until it smashed.
He then reached inside – cutting his arm on the broken glass in the process – and grabbed a fistful of gold necklaces before sprinting out of the shop.
Witnesses outside the goldsmith shop said the suspect ran a short distance to Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg and escaped with an accomplice who was waiting for him on a motorcycle in front of the General Post Office.
Police personnel, a number of whom were stationed along Main Bazaar and Kuching Waterfront for the ongoing Sarawak Craft Festival, were quick to cordon off the area after being notified of the robbery.
Forensics personnel were also present to document the crime scene, while CID personnel obtained security camera footage from the shop in a bid to identify the perpetrators.
Total loss in the incident was unascertained as workers at the goldsmith had yet to conduct an inventory check to determine which necklaces were stolen.