KUCHING: In a recent month-long operation named ‘Ops Lejang Khas’, police has arrested 21 individuals and retrieved 20 stolen vehicles.
These vehicles, a mix of cars and motorcycles, are worth an estimated RM146,400 in total.
Kuching police chief ACP Ahsmon Bajah said that the operation, which took place from Aug 4 to Sept 4, was executed by a team of 17 high-ranking officers and 167 police members.
“Thanks to this operation, vehicle thefts in the district dropped by 25 per cent in August compared to July. In 2023 alone, our team has arrested 72 people, recovered 38 vehicles, and started 49 investigations,” said Ahsmon.
Out of those arrested this year, 57 have been charged in court. These suspects, aged between 21 and 50, mostly have criminal backgrounds and many tested positive for drugs.
Ahsmon noted that, on average, one vehicle is stolen daily in Kuching.
“Thieves usually strike in public parking areas, parks, and residential areas. Most thefts happen from Thursday to Sunday, especially between 6pm-12pm, 12am-6am, and 6am-12pm,” he said.
He added, “Recently, we’ve observed a trend where a single person commits the theft, rather than large groups or syndicates as in the past.”
Vehicles at high risk are those without spare keys, with weak or old alarm systems, or parked away from security cameras.
He encouraged the public to report any information related to these crimes at their police station and to stay vigilant, especially if they spot suspicious individuals near parked vehicles.
