/ 21 September 2010

Malaysian thief found snoozing in burgled home

A Malaysian family was shocked to return home to find their house ransacked and a thief snoozing on the couch with his haul, reports said.

The burglar remained fast asleep surrounded by watches and jewellery worth 10 000 ringgit ($3 220) as the family returned to their house in the northern state of Penang, but the man managed to escape when police arrived.

He was arrested later by police nearby after a chase.

“They were shocked to find the living room in a mess and a car belonging to the suspect parked in front of the house,” Georgetown district police chief Gan Kong Meng was quoted as saying by the Star newspaper.

“When his wife went up the upper floor to check the bedrooms, she was surprised to find a stranger taking a nap in her son’s room,” he said, adding that the family immediately alerted the police.

Police could not be reached by Agence France-Presse for comment.

Gan told the New Straits Times newspaper that the 42-year-old thief tested positive for drugs and had 14 previous convictions for criminal and drug-related cases. — AFP