In a startling incident in Johor Bahru, a thief seized an opportunity when a driver left his SUV unlocked and the engine running while refueling at a Petronas fuel station in Marina Puteri. The incident occurred on Sunday, March 31st, around 6 AM, as reported by Oriental Daily Malaysia.
The owner, identified as Mr. Lin, confessed to negligence as he left his girlfriend's black Toyota Alphard unattended with valuables inside, including a Louis Vuitton bag, a Fendi cardholder, iPhones, and luxury accessories amounting to RM30,000 in total. Moreover, the SUV itself was valued at RM200,000, bringing the total loss to an estimated RM230,000.
Mr. Lin's girlfriend, Ms. Liu, managed to trace the stolen SUV's location using a RFID system and an iPhone that was inside the vehicle. The thief was tracked passing a toll plaza on a highway at 6:32 AM. The SUV was later found parked at another petrol station after a 100 km drive along the North-South Expressway.
Ms. Liu discovered through CCTV footage that the thief had taken a break at a Shell petrol station between 6:35 AM and 7:25 AM. Despite the police's attempts to follow the iPhone's location, it was suspected that the phone had been discarded by the thief.
After several hours of pursuit, the Malaysian police managed to recover the stolen SUV on the same night, although the luxury items and cash inside, including the car's battery, had been taken by the perpetrator.
Watch the video of the incident below:
Ms. Liu speculated that the thief might have kept the engine running throughout the day as he did not possess the car keys.
Let this be a reminder not to leave our car unattended whilst the engines are running!
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