BUKIT MERTAJAM: Police have detained a man barely 24 hours after he impersonated as a police staff before robbing a hotel receptionist outside its premises in Jalan Permatang Batu, here yesterday.
Deputy Police Chief of Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) District Supt Mustafa Bidin said in the incident at about 3am, the suspect approached the male victim, 22, as he was smoking in the car park outside the hotel, and introduced himself as a policeman.
“The man who was riding a Yamaha 135LC motorcycle asked the victim to hand over a small bag he was carrying as he wanted to check its contents which may be illegal,” Mustafa said yesterday.
He said the man also asked the victim for his identity card and while he went in to get it, the suspect ran off with his bag.
He added that items in the victim’s bag included a Vivo V5 and iPhone 7 telephones, as well as a power bank, all worth RM2,000.
Mustafa said, the man, 51, was detained in a house in Jalan Bagan Lalang, Butterworth near here at about 10.20am yesterday after police traced him through the ‘Find My Phone’ application.
He said following the man’s arrest, police also seized the Yamaha 135LC motorcycle which had a false licence plate, and further investigations found that the suspect had four previous criminal records and one drug-related record.
“Investigations are still being conducted and police believe the man was involved in other cases using the same modus operandi where he masqueraded as a policeman before robbing his victims,” he said.
Mustafa said the man has been remanded for further investigations and the case is being investigated under Section 379 for robbery and 170 of the Penal Code for impersonating a policeman. — Bernama
