Woman appeals for witnesses after elderly man caught on CCTV allegedly stealing wallet with $2.9k in Johor Bahru
A couple is appealing for witnesses after a wallet containing some $2,900 in cash was allegedly stolen by an elderly man, suspected to be living in Singapore, at a Johor Bahru shopping mall.
Facebook user Eileen Chai posted about the incident on Jan 20, sharing CCTV screenshots of the man and his companion in hopes of locating them.
Speaking to Stomp, the 33-year-old Malaysian, who works in the beauty industry, said it took place at AEON Mall Tebrau City in JB at around 2.30pm on Jan 20.
She and her husband, a 38-year-old Singapore permanent resident who only wished to be known as Mr Chuah, had been dining at a restaurant there to celebrate her birthday.
Mr Chuah inadvertently left his wallet on a chair when they left at 2.29pm, and the pair returned at 2.48pm only to discover that it was missing.
CCTV footage provided by the restaurant shows an elderly man, who was sitting with a woman at a table next to them, bending to retrieve an object that appears to be a wallet.
After finishing their meal, the couple can be seen footing their bill with a YouTrip card — a digital wallet popular among Singapore residents — leading Ms Chai to suspect that the elderly duo live in the Republic.
CCTV footage provided by the mall also captures the elderly man opening what appears to be the victim's wallet, removing cash, and placing the wallet into a white plastic bag, said Ms Chai.
The wallet contained about RM6,000 (S$1,908) and S$1,000 in cash, as well as personal documents. The pair had initially planned to shop after the meal and deposit the remaining cash at the bank later that day.
Ms Chai, who has filed police reports in both Singapore and Malaysia, told Stomp: "I was informed by the Singapore Police that as the incident occurred in Malaysia, they do not have jurisdiction to take enforcement action. At the same time, the Malaysian Police stated that since the suspect is a Singaporean citizen and has already returned to Singapore, they are unable to proceed further."
"I feel deeply helpless and disappointed," she added.
