KUCHING: Vehicle theft cases in the district have increased by 67.79 per cent from January to August this year compared to the same period last year.
Kuching OCPD ACP Ahsmon Bajah said there an additional 80 vehicle theft cases were recorded this year, incurring RM1.06 million in losses.
He said the Kuching district police will be conducting roadblocks and inspections at the district’s borders and at strategic zones through Ops Lejang to curb vehicle theft cases.
“We have done these operations in three phases from January and then we intensified the effort, involving 19 police officers and 195 personnel of various ranks.
“We have also established the Counter Aggressive Team (CAT) dedicated in detecting and arresting vehicle thieves in Kuching,” he told reporters during the operation at a roadblock at the Kuching-Samarahan Expressway today.
He said since the beginning of the year until Aug 31, the police took down four vehicle theft syndicates and detained 103 suspects.
Ahsmon in August alone, 26 suspects have been arrested and 35 stolen vehicles were seized with the seizure value estimated at RM129,800.
“From the arrests, 23 suspects have been convicted with a minimum of six months and maximum of nine months.
“Through this operation, until Aug 31, we have solved 52 cases of vehicle theft in Kuching,” said Ahsmon.
In addition, Ahsmon said that most vehicle thieves will target vehicles on residential and public parking areas, and be done during midnight or early morning.
He advised the public to improve their vehicle safety such as putting on steering lock and especially for motorcycles to put chains, padlocks and others to prevent thefts.
“The police are always there to help to prevent this from happening, therefore, we need assistance from the public to relay any information on criminal activities.
“We are committed to dealing with vehicle theft cases. We already know that vehicles, especially those that use motorcycles, are used to earn a living,” said Ahsmon.
At the same time, with reinforcements from the General Operation Force (GOF) and the Sarawak Police Contingent headquarters, he said the police will be able to cover more areas in Kuching.
Neighbouring districts Kota Samarahan and Padawan are also conducting roadblocks in their areas to tackle vehicle thefts, said Ahsmon.
