KUALA LUMPUR: Police have arrested a man who dressed in a black burka to steal women’s belongings at the female surau of a Bukit Bintang shopping mall.
He was nabbed at about 8.30pm on Thursday after an auxiliary policewoman noticed his shenanigans and arrested him after a brief scuffle.
It is learnt that while his lady victims were busy praying, the suspect had swiped a bizarre cache of valuables ranging from handbags, ATM cards and smartphones to spectacles and even a telekung.
He stashed the items in a brown handbag, which he hid under his burka.
Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Zainol Samah said an auxiliary policewoman on duty outside the surau found the burka-ed “woman” somewhat odd.
The officer approached the suspect, identified herself as a policewoman and asked the suspect for “her” identification.
“But he didn’t do that, instead he ran. The policewoman and another officer chased after him and were involved in a struggle with the suspect. That was when the officer realised it was actually a man underneath the burka,” ACP Zainol said.
The officers managed to subdue the suspect, who sustained a cut on his forehead.
He was then taken to the Tun HS Lee police station.
ACP Zainol said officers seized a brown Coach handbag from the suspect and found several women’s belongings, which are believed to have been stolen the surau.
Among the stolen items were ATM cards, RM846 in cash, a MyKad, a pair of spectacles, keys, an H&M bag and a white telekung.
“Actually theft cases at suraus are more common than you think. But this case, I really never heard of before. Who knows where he got the idea to dress like a woman and do that,” ACP Zainol said.
