Kota Kinabalu: A money lending shop in Beaufort was targeted in an apparent arson attempt early Tuesday, with CCTV footage capturing a suspect dousing the premises with petrol before fleeing.
A police report was lodged at 2.22am by the 42-year-old shop manager after being alerted by his staff about the incident, which occurred at about 1.45am.
According to the report, the manager rushed to the shop and discovered the smell of petrol outside the premises.
The sliding door showed burn marks, while smoke stains were visible on the main door, an interior banner and glass panels.
“I suspect someone tried to burn down the shop,” he said.
The CCTV footage, obtained from a friend at 2.47am, showed an unidentified man arriving at the shop in a silver Toyota Vios with unclear licence plate numbers.
The footage captured the suspect pouring petrol outside the premises before leaving the scene.
The manager said he was uncertain about the motive behind the attack. Despite the arson attempt, no major damage was reported beyond the burn marks and smoke stains.
The case adds to a series of incidents involving licensed money lending premises reported over the past week in Kota Kinabalu and Penampang.
The matter has been referred to the police for further investigation.
