[VIDEO] MBJB Officer Praised As A Hero For Taking Down Snatch Thief
The incident took place at Taman Mount Austin, Johor Bahru yesterday, 1 September.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 02 Sep 2020, 04:39 PM
A local council enforcement officer is being praised by the people and police for stopping a snatch thief from escaping in Johor Bahru, Johor
In a 26-second long video, 26-year-old Shazrin Hafeez can be seen charging towards a man riding a motorcycle after the latter snatched a handbag from a woman at Taman Mount Austin.
The snatch thief loses control of his motorcycle shortly after the snatch. As he tries to stand back up, Shazrin emerges and pounces on him.
The Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) officer tries to restrict the snatch thief's movement before passers-by come to help.
The whole incident happened in less than 15 seconds.
Johor Baru South district police chief ACP Mohd Padzli Mohd Zain confirmed the incident
According to The Star, the incident took place at about 12.45pm yesterday, 1 September.
The district police chief said, "After snatching the handbag, the suspect fell from his motorcycle."
"The victim screamed for help and MBJB enforcement personnel on duty nearby, as well as other members of the public, rushed to her aid."
"They surrounded the suspect while waiting for the police to arrive."
Mohd Padzli also praised Shazrin and members of the public for their bravery and quick action in responding to the victim's cries for help.
The 32-year-old suspect has been arrested for committing robbery under Section 394 of the Penal Code. If convicted, the suspect could face imprisonment of up to 20 years and a fine or whipping.
At the time of writing, photos of Shazrin apprehending the suspect have also gone viral
The posts attracted thousands of netizens commending Shazrin for his heroic act.
Some posts described him as the hero of the day, while some said the story is Malaysians' best gift this Hari Kebangsaan, which was celebrated the day before the incident on 31 August.
Speaking to Harian Metro, Shazrin said he did not think about anything else other than stopping the snatch thief from escaping during the incident.
"At that time, I did not think whether the snatcher could be dangerous or not. The most important thing was to be able to stop the thief. Many (netizens) said I was small, but still managed to catch the thief," he related.
"Also, I couldn't have done it without the help of the members of the public who were around the area to catch the thief."
The MBJB officer added that he did not expect the incident would go viral so quickly.
You can watch the videos of the incident here.
