A Filipino non-resident worker (NRW) has been arrested after stealing a handbag containing 15,000 patacas from a drunken male tourist and discarded the handbag, Public Security Police (PSP) spokeswoman Kong Chi Ian said during a regular press conference yesterday.
The suspect surnamed De Jesus is in his forties. He is a kitchen worker.
According to Kong, in the early hours of last Thursday, a male tourist reported to the police that his handbag, containing 15,000 patacas, had been stolen. The victim claimed that he had passed out drunk on Rua Nova à Guia and discovered that his handbag was missing when he regained consciousness.
Later that day, a resident reported to the police that they had found a handbag in Praça do Tap Seac. Upon identification, it was confirmed to belong to the victim, but the money inside had vanished.
After the incident, the police scrutinised the city’s CCTV surveillance system and observed De Jesus walking around the victim, who had collapsed, before taking the victim’s handbag. De Jesus was apprehended on Saturday in Taipa and confessed to stealing the money, as well as discarding the handbag.
According to Kong, De Jesus has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) and is facing a theft charge.
This undated pixilated photo provided by the Public Security Police (PSP) yesterday shows the Filipino suspect being escorted by a PSP officer to a vehicle.
