MIRI: A 29-year-old woman who claimed she had been robbed at gunpoint by four men in Miri has confessed to fabricating the incident after a police investigation uncovered evidence showing the alleged crime never took place.
The woman had lodged a police report at 1.58am on May 28, alleging that she was robbed while alone in her four-wheel-drive vehicle opposite Miri Gospel Chapel in Pujut at about 10pm the previous night.
According to her report, four men travelling in another four-wheel-drive vehicle approached her after she had stopped by the roadside.
She claimed one of the suspects pointed a pistol at her before the group fled with a gold necklace, a gold ring, a gold bracelet and RM350 in cash.
She estimated her losses at RM3,130.
The report prompted police to open an investigation under Sections 395 and 397 of the Penal Code, which relate to gang robbery and robbery involving the use of a weapon.
However, a comprehensive investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Miri district police headquarters revealed significant inconsistencies in the woman’s account.
Police said investigators conducted extensive enquiries and gathered evidence that contradicted her claims, ultimately establishing that the alleged robbery had not occurred.
Faced with the findings, the woman admitted that the report she had lodged was false.
Investigators subsequently discovered that the jewellery and cash she had claimed were stolen were, in fact, still in her possession.
Following the discovery, the investigating officer lodged a separate police report against the woman for providing false information to a public servant.
She is now being investigated under Section 182 of the Penal Code. Those convicted under the provision may face a jail term of up to six months, a fine of up to RM2,000, or both.
Miri district police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said lodging a false police report was a serious offence and warned the public against attempting to mislead law enforcement authorities for personal gain.
“Members of the public should not make false police reports for their own interests or to obtain personal benefits. Such actions are a serious offence and can result in legal consequences,” he said.
He added that false reports not only waste police resources but can also divert attention from genuine victims and
