Suspect in Ayer Molek incidents tests positive for THC: Police

MELAKA: Police arrested a man suspected of injuring a senior citizen, attempting to steal a vehicle and harassing members of the public in Ayer Molek here yesterday.

Melaka Tengah police chief ACP Halim Abas said the incident occurred at about 7.30 pm when the 36-year-old suspect allegedly hit an elderly man on the head with a glass bottle.

“The victim’s 33-year-old daughter heard screams at the back of the house before finding her father being dragged out of the prayer room by the suspect, with his face and head covered in blood.

“The suspect then fled and was seen entering a vehicle belonging to a man parked in the compound of a house in Taman Ayer Molek.

“The complainant noticed the incident, asked his son to get out of the vehicle and pulled the suspect out of the car,” he said in a statement today.

Halim said the suspect then acted aggressively and refused to leave, prompting the complainant to contact the 999 emergency line for police assistance.

In a related incident, he said a man, his wife and their two-year-old daughter encountered the suspect at the Taman Ayer Molek junction.

Halim said the suspect allegedly tried to take the woman’s mobile phone and then grabbed their daughter. The complainant intervened, leading to a brief struggle.

“Members of the public then stepped in to restrain the suspect while waiting for the police to arrive,” he said.

Halim said officers from the Melaka Tengah Mobile Patrol Vehicle (MPV) unit were dispatched to the scene and arrested the suspect at about 8.20 pm.

“Initial checks showed that the suspect had suffered head injuries and was taken to the Tiang Dua Police Station for further action. Preliminary urine screening found that the suspect tested positive for Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),” he said.

He added that the case is being investigated under Section 12(3) and Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, Section 324 of the Penal Code and Section 377D of the Penal Code.

Halim said checks also showed that the suspect had a prior conviction under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, while a seven-day remand application had been granted from today until Oct 6 to assist in the investigations.

He advised the public not to take matters into their own hands when dealing with aggressive or suspicious individuals and to contact the police or the 999 emergency line for assistance.