Mohd Zaidi
KOTA KINABALU (Jan 20): Police have solved three gang-robbery cases that happened in the state capital between Jan 14 and Jan 16.
Kota Kinabalu police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Zaidi Abdullah said all the three cases were solved by police within 24 hours.
He said the first case took place at a parking lot of an apartment where a woman lost RM18,000 of her personal belongings on Jan 14.
“On the day of the incident, a woman was robbed of her sling bag which contained RM15,000 cash, two handphones, ATM bank cards and other personal documents, by a man around 10.20pm.
“The suspect fled the scene in a waiting motorcycle ridden by his accomplice.
“Couple of hours after the victim lodged a police report, police arrested a 21-year-old man and seized RM2,500 cash and the motorcycle believed used by the suspects in the robbery.
“Continuous investigation led police to the arrest of the second suspect, a 42-year-old man, on Jan 19. Police also seized a handphone, an ATM card and personal documents of the victim,” said Mohd Zaidi in a statement on Friday.
The second gang-robbery happened when an e-hailing driver was robbed by two suspects in Menggatal on Jan 15.
Mohd Zaidi said the 2am incident happened when the victim dropped off a passenger in Menggatal and two men approached his vehicle.
One of the suspects, armed with a wooden stick, instructed the victim to wind down the car window before the second suspect took the victim’s sling bag and wallet containing cash and personal documents.
Both suspects then fled the scene without harming the victim.
Following a police report lodged by the victim on the same day, police arrested two suspects, a man aged 35 and a woman aged 36, in Menggatal on the same day.
The third gang-robbery happened when a student was robbed of her handphone in Sulaman Central on Jan 15.
Mohd Zaidi said a car drove by next to the victim before one of the suspects snatched her handphone at 8pm.
The victim tried to put up a fight but fell onto the ground as the car sped off.
Mohd Zaidi said the victim, who sustained minor injury, lodged a police report on the same day and police immediately launched a manhunt for the suspect.
Three days later on Jan 19, police arrested three suspects, aged between 23 and 30, who were believed to be involved in the case in Tuaran.
Police also recovered the victim’s handphone while the car that was used by the suspects was confiscated for investigation.
Mohd Zaidi said police managed to solve all the three cases with cooperation from the public.