The recovered pickup truck.
KUCHING: Soldiers intercepted a stolen pickup truck and arrested a local man following an attempt to cross the border into Indonesia via Serikin on Sunday.
A spokesperson from the 13th Battalion Royal Malay Regiment said its personnel were conducting an operation along the Malaysia-Indonesia border around 9pm when information was received from Bau police headquarters that a stolen four-wheel-drive vehicle could be headed their way.
Not long after, the soldiers spotted a black pickup truck approaching them at high speed and ordered the driver to stop.
The driver, a 47-year-old man, told them that he wanted to cross the border to collect vegetables for his business, but a subsequent inspection of the vehicle revealed it had been fitted with false licence plates.
Following further checks, it was confirmed that the pickup truck – worth RM40,000 – had been reported missing on April 30.
The suspect was placed under arrest and handed over to police, along with the vehicle, for further investigation.