KUCHING: Two illegal foreigners believed to be from a syndicate resisted arrest when they were cornered early yesterday at 1.05am at Moyan Square, Batu Kawa.
Police officers were left with little choice but to use some force to arrest them.
The two, both Indonesian nationals, with one nicknamed Kuwik, 24, and his countryman nicknamed Jagoi, 17, from Jagoi Babang were arrested in an operation, Ops Rantau, which was carried out shortly after a robbery incident.
In the incident, a teacher and her parents were robbed in their house along Kuching-Serian Road on Thursday morning.
The police team who was on the lookout saw the duo on a motorcycle behaving suspiciously in the area and trailed them. When the suspects realised they were being followed, they fled.
The police, who were closing in on them, saw the duo’s motorcycle went out of control.
The suspects, who were thrown off their machine, picked themselves up and ran towards some buildings nearby with police in hot pursuit.
Police saw one of them take something from his body and threw it away. It was later found to be a 38cm knife wrapped in a piece of cloth. Both resisted arrested when they were surrounded.
After confiscating their motorcycle, police found three screwdrivers modified into a T-shape tool, five spanners of different sizes, two pliers, a modified screwdriver, a knife, scissors, black gloves, bottles of petrol and other house-breaking tools.
The motorcycle was later found to be a stolen vehicle with fake number plates. It was reported missing on May 29 last year in Kota Samarahan.
The suspects are expected to be charged for robbery, possession of dangerous weapons, housebreaking and theft of motorcycles.
They are also expected to be charged under the Immigration Act.
Police found that Kuwik was in the state before and was actively involved in stealing motorcycles in various areas in Matang, Desa Wira, Batu Kawa, Kota Sentosa and Kota Samarahan since early this year.
He is believed to have stolen nearly 10 motorcycles since teaming up with a gang of friends called Aley, Richie, Jaka and Bimas.
He also admitted to having stolen 20 motorcycles in Kota Samarahan since 2018.
Police have yet to establish whether the two were part of the four who were involved in cases of robbery on Thursday morning and several other cases in Sg Moyan last month.