A 50-year-old local man was arrested on February 7 for stealing 500 patacas in cash from a restaurant and a beverage shop in Praia do Manduco district, a Public Security Police (PSP) officer said in a regular press conference on Friday.
The suspect surnamed Lin told police that he is jobless, the spokesperson said.
PSP officers received a report on February 1 at about 8 p.m. from the owner of a restaurant in Manduco, who said that 100 patacas in cash had disappeared from an unlocked tip box on the cash desk, the spokesperson said.
After checking the surveillance system of the restaurant, it was found that at around 6 p.m. on February 1, a man had entered the premises to buy a takeaway and took the opportunity to steal the money from the tip box, the spokesperson said, adding that the owner of the eatery reported a loss of 100 patacas.
During the investigation, the PSP officers received another report from a staff member of a beverage shop in the same district on February 3, saying that a staff member went to the toilet without locking the front door at around 11 a.m. on that day, and then found that a donation box placed by Anima for animal protection donations had been stolen from the cash desk, which had contained 400 patacas in total, the spokesperson said.
PSP officers identified Lin through the citywide CCTV surveillance system and intercepted him near where he lives in Nam Van district on February 7 at 8 a.m., the spokesperson said.
Lin admitted that he had committed the two thefts out of greed, and that he had spent the loot, the spokesperson said.
Lin has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing a theft charge, according to the spokesperson.
This handout photo provided by the Public Security Police (PSP) on Friday shows the theft suspect being escorted by a PSP officer to a police station in Nam Van district.
