“Customer” Walks Away With Gold Necklaces, Caught And Beaten Up By Public
The thief was sentenced to six months in prison by the Kota Tinggi Magistrate’s Court.
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Police apprehended a 27-year-old man who stole from a jewellery shop in Kota Tinggi, Johor, but not before members of the public had a “go” at him first.
The man, at the time, was suspected of stealing two gold necklaces worth RM23,000 at 6 pm on Monday (16 October).
As reported by The Star, Kota Tinggi OCPD Supt Hussin Zamora said that the suspect pretended that he wanted to buy the two necklaces priced at RM8,000 and RM15,000 each from the jewellery store in Plaza Kota Tinggi on Jalan Mawai before running away.
He was then caught by the public in front of a supermarket near the area and was handed to the police.
Upon investigation, police found that the suspect had two prior criminal records involving theft cases under Section 379 of the Penal Code. However, the suspect tested negative for drugs.
The case was investigated under Section 380 of the Penal Code for theft.
He was sentenced to six months in prison by the Kota Tinggi Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday (17 October).
A video of him being caught went viral
Previously, a video of the public apprehending him went viral on social media.
In the video, a man was seen holding the suspect while a woman in a blue Baju Kurung asked him to return the jewellery. When the suspect refused, two other men swooped in and held the perpetrator, some even beat up the guy to stop him from resisting.
One of the men managed to get the stolen necklaces – one in his shirt and another draped by his neck. While the owner was taking a picture of the suspect along with the necklace for evidence, the suspect still attempted to snatch back the gold chain.
The men then beat him up again.
The video has garnered 1.3 M views and 13.9 K likes on Twitter at the moment of writing.
While some expressed sympathy for the thief, many believed he deserved the beating.
However, vigilantism like this is not encouraged. The best course of action is always to hand suspects over to law enforcement for proper action.
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