Govt retiree loses RM2,500 to ‘chatty’ woman pickpocket

KOTA KINABALU: All she wanted was to have lunch but instead lost RM2,500 in cash and other belongings to a woman pickpocket in Sabah’s northern Kota Marudu district.

This was what befell a 59-year-old government retiree as she flipped through the menu to see the food selection at a restaurant in the town district.

Footage of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) recording has made the rounds in social media since Saturday (July 27).

Kota Marudu OCPD Supt Zairolnizal Ishak said the incident occurred at about 12.30pm on July 20.

He said the victim lodged a report later at 8.25pm after realising her wallet containing RM1,800, several bank cards, retiree card and driving licence were gone, adding she suspected it had been stolen.

Supt Zairolnizal said there were two CCTV cameras at the outlet, one inside and the other outside the restaurant.

“After checking the recordings, we found that an unidentified woman had approached the victim at 12.37pm and pretended to look at the menu with her,” he said when contacted on Sunday (July 28).

“At the same time, the suspect chatted with the woman before reaching into her handbag she was carrying on her side and taking the wallet.

“The suspect could then be seen putting the wallet into her handbag before she left through the front door moments later,” he said.

He added the victim did not suspect anything at the time, with many customers inside the restaurant.

Supt Zairolnizal said the suspect was then spotted on the CCTV camera outside walking across the road to a waiting white Proton Iswara car which then left the scene.

He said, however, they could not make the vehicle’s registration plate number.

“We are looking for the woman suspect, believed to be in her 40s, for now,” he said.

To a question, he said, the police have not discounted the suspect not to be a resident at the district.

“The case is still under investigation under Section 380 of the Penal Code for theft,” he said, urging those with information about the incident to contact the police immediately.