Husband & Wife Sentenced To Jail For Stealing 54 Charity Donation Boxes In 3 States
The couple posed as representatives from madrasahs and orphanages while taking the boxes.
A husband and wife were sentenced to jail by the Ayer Keroh Magistrate's Court in Melaka on Friday, 13 December, for stealing a total of 54 donation boxes from various charities in different states
According to the New Straits Times, Nuruddin Hasbullah Zainal, 33, and his wife, Syaidatul Nor Syahidra Firdaus, 35, pleaded guilty to five charges.
They were both charged under Section 29 (1) of the Minor Offences Act 1955, read together with Section 34 and Section 109 of the Penal Code, for abetting the possession of the stolen boxes.
Syaidatul faced an additional charge under Section 109 of the Penal Code, read with Section 411, for abetting, while Nuruddin faced another under Section 380 of the Penal Code for theft.
It was previously reported that the couple was under surveillance for stealing charity donation boxes placed at payment counters in eateries across Melaka, Johor, and Negeri Sembilan
"Initial investigations found that all the donation boxes they stole belonged to madrasahs and orphanages that were placed at the eateries.
"The couple's modus operandi was to go to stalls and eateries and pretend to be representatives from the madrasahs, pondoks, and orphanages to collect the donation boxes," said Melaka Tengah district police chief ACP Christopher Patit.
The couple was caught by the police during a raid at their condominium in Klebang, Melaka, on 4 December, where the police seized 54 donation boxes, metal cutters, and a packet of compressed leaves believed to be marijuana from the boot of a Perodua Bezza.
The police chief said the stolen donation boxes contained between RM200 and RM250 each, with the total amount exceeding RM11,000. Preliminary investigations also found that both suspects had multiple prior records related to drug abuse, The Star reported.
Image via IPD Melaka Tengah./Berita Harian
The court sentenced the couple to eight months' imprisonment each for the first and second charges, seven months for the third charge, and 12 months each for the fourth and fifth charges
These sentences will run concurrently from the date of their arrest on 4 December.
Deputy public prosecutor Nor Asnini Kamarudin prosecuted the case, while the couple was represented by Muhammad Mawardi Zainudin from the National Legal Aid Foundation.
Separately, the couple was also charged with possession of cannabis and the self-administration of methamphetamine and tetrahydrocannabinol.
The case has been fixed for mention on 5 February 2025, pending pathology and chemical reports.
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