A man suspected of breaking into two libraries to steal books and then selling them online has finally been caught after his brazen acts came to light.
Assistant Commissioner Mohamad Rosdi, District Police Chief of Kota Bharu, stated that authorities received a report on Monday (13th) from a public library administrator, which led to the arrest of the suspect, a man in his 50s, and the launch of a formal investigation.
According to the statement, the 31-year-old complainant discovered that several missing books from the library were being sold online, after being tipped off by a friend. Review of CCTV footage confirmed the suspect’s involvement.
“The footage shows the suspect concealing the stolen books in his clothing and leaving the library unnoticed,” the police statement said.
Further investigation revealed that at 10:23 a.m. the same day, another private library experienced a similar theft, which police believe was carried out by the same suspect.
Authorities have so far recovered more than 15 stolen books and have been granted a five-day remand for the suspect under Section 380 of the Penal Code (theft in a building) to facilitate further investigation.
“Preliminary inquiries indicate that the suspect has admitted to his involvement, and police do not rule out the possibility of other related incidents in the district,” Mohamad Rosdi added.
