Kuching CID nab three robbery suspects at homestay

KUCHING: Swift action by the Kuching Crime Investigation Department (CID) successfully put the brakes on a samurai and stick wielding duo suspected of having committed four robberies in three districts in a span of two days.
Sarawak CID chief Datuk Dev Kumar said the duo both male aged 26 and 24 and a 19-year-old female who were with them were arrested in a room at a homestay at Kota Sentosa near here.
According to him, the male suspects wearing full face helmets entered a 24-hour convenience store in Kota Sentosa on Sept 4 at 3am and forced the shop assistant to hand over RM600 from the cash register before fleeing in a Proton Saga.
He said one of them brandished a samurai sword while the other was armed with a stick.
Dev said the same duo were believed to have struck another 24-hour convenience store at MTLD, Kota Samarahan on Sept 5 at 4am, and forced the shop assistant to hand over RM835 and several cartons of cigarette.
"One hour later they hit another convenience store at Stutong, Kuching and forced a foreign worker to hand over cash and cigarettes amounting to RM1,500.
"The same day at 12.30pm the suspects in a Proton Saga knocked down a motorcyclist at the Kuching-Samarahan Expressway causing the 18-year old victim to fall off his motorcycle and sustain injuries on his knees.
"One of the suspects came out of the vehicle wielding a samurai sword and forced the victim to hand over his mobile phone, identification documents and RM16," Dev said.
He said a task force was immediately formed to nab the culprits before they could do more harm and within hours the identity and possible hideout of the suspects were established by the task force.
"On the day itself, at 8.30pm, a team from CID Kuching led by ASP Ooi Jin Bing raided a room at a homestay at 7th Mile, Padawan and arrested the three suspects," he said.
He said the suspects then led the police to a Proton Saga that was parked in front of a shoplot not far from the homestay. A check on the vehicle revealed that it was reported stolen on Sept 5 at Stutong, Kuching.

Police also recovered a samurai sword, a stick, two helmets, two pairs of gloves, cigarettes, lighters, mobile phones and cash from the duo.
"The female suspect was in the car during the commission of the four robberies and all three who are unemployed tested positive for methamphetamine (syabu)," said Dev.
He said Sarawak Commissioner of Police Datuk Amer Awal upon being notified of the case sent a congratulatory message to the Kuching OCPD and his CID team on their success in ending the duo's crime spree. — Bernama