KUCHING: Police arrested two men who were suspected to be involved in a house break-in and theft, with the help of the community in Star Garden.
Kuching district police chief ACP Awang Din Awang Gani said the suspects, aged 34 and 40, were arrested on Saturday at 3pm while two accomplices escaped.
Awang Din said on that day, the owner of the house was out when he was alerted by neighbours that his house had been broken into.
When he arrived home, he found that his front door grill had been forced open and his house ransacked.
Among the items missing were coins and makeup equipment valued over RM600.
The house owner then checked the CCTV footage and spotted two unidentified men, using a white Nissan Almera vehicle, entering his house.
The CCTV footage was shared with the Stapok Community Policing Unit’s WeChat group, whose members later informed the house owner that the vehicle was still in the area.
The house owner, along with 10 members from the unit, went to the location and succeeded in arresting the two suspects while two accomplices escaped.
Police seized the stolen items, including the vehicle used by the suspects which Awang Din revealed was reported missing at Sentosa City Hall.
Earlier on, the duo attempted to break into a house at Poh Kwong Park but was unsuccessful as the house owner saw them and shouted at them, which prompted them to escape.
Records show that the two suspects were involved in various drug cases in Kuching and Padawan and one of them also has a criminal record for theft.
Awang Din said investigations were still ongoing.
