Crime & Courts

Sledgehammer-wielding man robs jewellery shop in just a minute

KOTA KINABALU: A man wearing a hat, a face mask and gloves robbed a jewellery shop here today by breaking a glass display cabinet with a sledgehammer.

The incident occurred at 1.30pm at the Wisma Merdeka shopping centre here.

A witness, who declined to be named, said a person who was in the shop during the incident tried to chase the robber, but did not succeed.

"Everything happened so fast. The shopping centre was not busy. Many people, including people in nearby shops, did not know there was a robbery," said the witness.

It was learnt that an employee of the shop called the police after the man fled.

District police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Zaidi Abdullah said investigators were still trying to identify the man and determine the value of the stolen jewellery.

"Those with information on the robbery case should contact police," he said.

Former Kota Kinabalu member of parliament Chan Foong Hin, who visited the scene, said police had completed their site investigation and evidence collection.

"As seen on the CCTV recording, the robbery happened in less than a minute.

"Police must take stern action. We cannot tolerate such a crime happening in broad daylight. The culprit must be tracked down and arrested promptly."

Chan said a weak economy would lead to rampant crime.

"Improving the economy and people's livelihoods are at the top of my agenda as an MP and I will continue to strive for this."

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