KENINGAU: Police cracked a vehicle theft case within 24 hours, arresting two local men suspected of stealing a car left running unattended outside a house in Kampung Bulu Silou here.
Keningau District Police Chief Supt Yampil Garai said the Proton Iswara Aeroback went missing at around 5.15pm on Saturday while its engine was left idling beside the owner’s house.
The car belongs to Evsie Arat but was regularly used by her younger brother Richie Arat to commute to work.
Yampil said Richie had briefly stepped inside the house to use the toilet, leaving the vehicle unlocked with the engine running and unattended.
“While he was in the toilet, Richie heard the sound of the car being reversed and driven away from the location by an unknown individual,” Yampil said.
Following the report, police launched an immediate manhunt, which led to the arrest of two men, aged 26 and 30, at a petrol kiosk in Sook at about 2pm on Sunday.
Yampil said initial investigations revealed that the primary suspect admitted to stealing the vehicle because he did not own one for daily use, while the second suspect was a passenger and is believed to have been involved in the incident.
Further checks showed the primary suspect had five drug-related records and two criminal cases, while his accomplice had one drug-related record.
The stolen vehicle, estimated to be worth around RM5, 000, was recovered following the arrests.
He said the crime scene, the front of the house facing Kampung Bulu Silou road, was an open area without fencing and had no CCTV coverage, factors that likely contributed to the theft.
Yampil advised the public to exercise greater caution and avoid leaving vehicles running unattended to prevent similar incidents from repeating.
