Student by day, thief by night

MALAYSIA - Following cases of break-ins in the Westlake residential area in Bandar Baru Kampar, Perak, Malaysian police stepped up surveillance of the area.

Their efforts were rewarded when they arrested a 20-year-old first-year accounting student at a private university in Kampar.

The suspect would look for unlocked houses in the area after midnight and then enter them to steal valuables, Malaysia's The Star reported.

According to Kampar Police Superintendent Ng Kong Soon, the suspect was caught red-handed inside an unlocked house at 5am on Wednesday.

Said Supt Ng: "We retrieved from him six MyKads, four student cards, six mobile phones, three laptops, three wallets and some miscellaneous items."

The Westlake break-ins resulted in losses of about RM15,000 (S$6,000).

The suspect, who has no criminal record, will be remanded until investigations under Sec­­­­tions 457 and 380 of the Penal Code for break-in and theft are completed.