MUKAH: An unemployed man was caught red-handed in a daring theft of iron scaffolding components at a housing construction site along Jalan Orang Kaya Setiaraja here yesterday.
The incident happened at around 4.45pm when a construction company director spotted two unidentified men sneaking around the site. After realising the director’s presence, the duo immediately fled with a sack of scaffolding components on a motorcycle.
Without hesitation, the director and two employees tailed them and cornered one of the suspects at Pasar Lama, while the other managed to escape.
The 26-year-old local suspect, who has a history of criminal and drug offenses, was taken to Mukah district police headquarters (IPD) along with the recovered items.
Police later re-arrested him and seized nine iron scaffolding components, a motorcycle, and a helmet as evidence.
Mukah police chief DSP Muhamad Rizal Alias confirmed that the case is being investigated under Section 379 of the Penal Code, which carries up to seven years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both, upon conviction.
An initial urine test found the suspect positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine, leading to a separate probe under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
He added that the suspect has been remanded for four days until Dec 27 while police continue efforts to track down his accomplice.
