KUCHING: Two Indonesian men led police to catch a main suspect for selling a stolen motorcycle yesterday.
Kota Samarahan District Police Chief, Supt Damaterius Lautin said police first arrested two Indonesians in front of a supermarket in Batu Kawa for possessing a motorcycle reported stolen in April.
He said the arrest took place at 1.45 pm and was carried out by a team from the Criminal Investigation Department of the Kota Samarahan District Police Headquarters (IPD).
Damaterius said the two men, both from Madura, Indonesia, were caught with the stolen motorcycle at the scene. One of them claimed he bought the vehicle through an online advertisement and was unaware that it had been reported stolen.
The suspects have been identified and are aged 31, and 35. Both are construction workers living in a shared house near the MJC construction site.
Police confirmed that neither has a criminal record and both possess valid passports and work permits.
Damaterius said the motorcycle seized was a red and black Yamaha with registration number QAA8235P. It had been reported stolen on April 25 this year in Kota Samarahan.
According to one of the suspects, Damaterius said the suspect claimed to find a Facebook advertisement for a bicycle, but when he contacted the seller, he was informed the bicycle had already been sold. The seller then offered him a motorcycle instead.
The suspect said he arranged to meet the seller, a man surname Lee and paid a down payment of RM250 for the motorcycle. Since then, he had been using the vehicle, not knowing it was stolen.
The second suspect told police he only accompanied the first suspect during the purchase and had no involvement in the transaction. Both suspects were brought to IPD Kota Samarahan for further investigation.
Damaterius added that their arrest, they managed to arrest and detain the main suspect, Lee. He said both the two Indonesians are expected to serve as prosecution witnesses in the case against Lee, who is being investigated under Sections 379A and 414 of the Penal Code.
By Connie Chieng