A Singaporean family visiting Kuala Lumpur has technology to thank for tracking down a group of snatch thieves.
On Saturday, Mr Liu Wai Yaw, 51, and his family were travelling along Jalan Bukit Bintang when a man on a motorcycle smashed the passenger-side window at a traffic light, grabbed his wife’s Birkin bag and fled the scene, The Star reported.
Her iPhone 6 was in the bag, which also had about RM45,000 (S$15,100) worth of belongings.
Mr Liu tried to give chase, but failed to catch the thieves.
His 19-year-old son then came up with a great idea.
He suggested using “Find my iPhone” which is part of Apple’s iCloud service.
It uses cellular network and GPS signals to locate a missing or stolen iPhone, the Malay Mail reported.
Using the app, Mr Liu tracked the culprits to a place near Bandar Tun Razak Smart LRT station in Cheras.
Mr Liu told The Star: “We also called the police for help when we were on the way there.
“Once we reached the place, I went looking for the men with my son.”
He said he told his wife and 14-year-old daughter to wait in the car.
He saw a group of men discussing something and immediately recognised a few of them.
As expected, the group scattered when Mr Liu attempted to approach them but his son managed to grab one of them, who was still holding on to the bag.
The rest fled on two motorcycles and on foot.
QUICK
“The police were also quick to respond. They arrived on time,” said Mr Liu, adding that the man was handed over to the police.
He added that they got back all the money and he believed the men were dividing the loot when he arrived.
He also said that the man who was arrested later showed them where they had thrown the passports and credit cards from the purse.
Mr Liu’s wife suffered cuts on her legs and hands, while his son was bitten by the man who was arrested.
Source: www.tnp.sg
