The Public Security Police (PSP) arrested a man from Myanmar for stealing a taxi on Friday, PSP spokesman Wong Wai Chon said during a regular press conference yesterday.
Wong identified the suspect as a non-resident worker (NRW) in his thirties surnamed Thawt, who works as a cleaner.
According to Wong, in the early hours of Friday, the Public Security Police received a report from a taxi driver. The victim said he was driving his taxi near the junction of Avenida do Coronel Mesquita and Rua de Francisco Xavier Pereira when his vehicle was struck by another taxi. The offending taxi stopped for a few seconds after the collision before fleeing the scene.
After reviewing the city’s CCTV footage, PSP officers discovered that at around 3:00 a.m. that day, the suspect was lingering in the areas of Avenida do Ouvidor Arriaga and Avenida do Coronel Mesquita, repeatedly trying the doors of parked cars. He successfully gained entry to an unlocked taxi and began driving aimlessly around the neighbourhood. Wong added that at 3:58 a.m., the suspect returned to the area near where he had stolen the vehicle, parked, got out, and left the scene.
CCTV footage also showed that, while driving, the suspect jumped four red lights, drove against the traffic flow on two occasions, crossed solid road lines, and struck four roadside metal barriers.
The suspect was summoned for questioning on Friday afternoon. Wong said he admitted to having had drinks with friends earlier that evening but claimed he could not remember the details, only that he recalled driving a car.
The suspect has meanwhile been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing charges of vehicle theft and evading responsibility.
This undated handout photo provided by the Public Security Police (PSP) yesterday shows a PSP officer escorting the suspect from Myanmar into a police station.
