KABONG: Police have arrested a man for stealing belian wood and PVC pipes from a house at Rumah Lot Baru here, while an acquaintance was held for possession of the stolen timber.
Saratok District Police Chief, DSP Mathew Manggie, said the duo were picked up in separate arrests on November 12 and 13 following a report lodged by a 31-year-old businesswoman.
“According to the complainant, her neighbour had seen a man on a motorcycle stopped in front of her father’s house on October 16 and take a white PVC pipe from the property.
“Upon inspection, the complainant and her father discovered that four white PVC pipes and four belian beams measuring 18 feet each were missing. The total loss was estimated at RM2,512,” he said in a statement.
He said investigations found that the 44-year-old suspect, an unemployed man with previous convictions for theft-related offences, admitted to stealing the belian beams alone to obtain money for drugs.
“He later sold the stolen timber to the second suspect, for RM70 per piece,” he said.
Urine tests also showed the first suspect was positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine.
The second suspect, a 62-year-old oil palm farmer, with no prior criminal record, was later detained at an unnumbered house at Kampung Hulu.
Both suspects then led the police to a location at Kampung Hulu here, where two 18-foot belian beams believed to be part of the stolen items were recovered.
Police are continuing investigations to determine whether the duo is linked to other theft cases in the area.
