When bad habit die hard for that snatcher

[Crimes]

From The Star

Snatch thief back to old ways after serving time

KLANG: Six months behind bars for theft appeared to have left no impression on a 23-year-old man who was caught for stealing just after he was released.

He and an accomplice snatched a purse belonging to a 44-year-old florist who had left it lying on the counter at her shop in Port Klang on Thursday.

She ran after the thieves, screaming for help and passers-by joined in the chase. They caught and overpowered him and handed him over to the police.

They recovered her purse, which had RM400 and her identity card.

The accomplice got away.

OCPD Asst Comm Jamil Ayub confirmed that the suspect from Kampung Johan Setia was recently released from jail.

"I would like to commend the public for helping the florist. This is a true example of how the public should react.

"Unfortunately, most people prefer to be bystanders," he said, adding that the district police were on the lookout for the second man.

In a separate incident, two policemen who were on their crime prevention rounds, nabbed a snatch thief a short distance from the spot where he had wrested a handbag from a 65-year-old woman on Thursday.

The two policemen, ACP Jamil said, were near the crime scene at Jalan Rajawali, at 10.45am, when they heard the victim shouting for help.

"They quickly gave chase and caught the suspect," he said, adding that their investigations revealed that the suspect, who had previous convictions, was a drug addict.