Burglars take advantage of CNY to escape with jewelery worth RM10 mil

PETALING JAYA (Feb 3, 2014): In one of the largest heists at a goldsmith shop nationwide in recent years, burglars took advantage of the Chinese New Year holidays to steal nearly RM10 million in jewellery from an outlet at the One Utama shopping mall in Bandar Utama here.
The burglary at Wah Chan Jewellers is believed to have occurred sometime between Friday and today as workers only realised the shop had been burgled when they came back from the holidays at 9.30am today.
It is believed that police are working on the theory that the burglars had stayed behind after closing hours on Friday to stage the heist.
Petaling Jaya police chief ACP Arjunaidi Mohamed said they had gained entry into the shop from a rear door before using an oxyacetalene torch to break into a vault where the jewellery was stored.
He said police have retrieved a closed-circuit security camera recording and will record statements from the mall’s security guards.
Arjunaidi hoped the footage will shed light on the case besides helping investigators ascertain if it was an “inside job”.
Selangor deputy police chief DCP Datuk Abdul Rahim Jaafar said store officials believe the robbers got away with about RM10 million in jewellery.
“This is the estimated loss as stated by store officials but they are trying to confirm this. We are in the middle of gathering evidence which, we hope, will help lead us to the crooks. We also urge those with information to come forward and assist us in the probe,” he said.
A police forensic team spent about five hours checking the store today for evidence besides lifting fingerprints.
Investigators are baffled as to how the burglars managed to remain unnoticed despite the presence of security guards on duty at the mall.