KUCHING: Two teenage boys from Kalimantan Barat were arrested in Sri Aman on Wednesday for their involvement in multiple motorcycle theft cases in the district.
The 14 and 17-year-old suspects – who both hail from Kampung Mawang at the Batu Lintang border in Sri Aman – were detained at around 4.20am following a failed attempt to steal a motorcycle in front of Bangunan Mara in Sri Aman earlier the same morning.
District police chief DSP Mat Jusoh Mohammad, who confirmed the case, said the boys were riding a motorcycle when they were intercepted by police personnel who had noticed them behaving in a suspicious manner.
“A check of their machine revealed it had been fitted with false license plates and had been reported stolen in Sri Aman in May 2014.
“During a subsequent interrogation, the teens admitted to having stolen a total of six motorcycles in Sri Aman which they smuggled across the border into Kalimantan Barat via Kampung Temiang in Batu Lintang to sell,” said Mat Jusoh when contacted yesterday. According to him, the suspects had failed in their last motorcycle theft attempt as the machine in question had been fitted with a secondary lock.
“My advice to all motorcycle owners is to always use secondary locks on their bikes as it makes it difficult for thieves to steal.
“The extra time it would take for them to cut through the lock will deter them from targeting the machine in the first place,” he said, adding that bike owners should also ensure their machines are not left in isolated places or at any one place for long periods.
The two suspects have since been remanded for 14 days under Section 379A of the Penal Code and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act for further investigation.