Police arrest suspect in Miri temple offerings theft

MIRI (March 6): Police have arrested a man suspected of stealing donation money from a Buddhist temple here.

Miri police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Abdullah said a police report was lodged on the incident, which occurred around 9.03pm on Monday.

“The incident was discovered by the management of the place of worship when they noticed a man stealing money from the donation box.

“The suspect’s actions were recorded by the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera installed at the premises,” he said in a statement.

Mohd Farhan said a Criminal Investigation Department team investigated the report and managed to identify the suspect.

Police subsequently arrested the 50-year-old man on Tuesday and seized several items believed to be linked to the theft.

The case is being investigated under Section 379 of the Penal Code for theft.

The suspect has been remanded for three days at the Miri Central Police Station lock-up to assist with the investigation.

“The Royal Malaysia Police views seriously any criminal act involving houses or places of worship as such incidents affect social harmony and community sensitivities,” added Mohd Farhan.

He urged the public to continue cooperating with the police by providing any information related to crime via the IPD Miri hotline on 085-432533 or contacting the nearest police station.