a day ago
Melaka police share image to raise awareness of night shift dangers
MELAKA: Melaka police have shared an image of a 20-year-old convenience store employee lying dazed and bloodied after being bludgeoned with a baseball bat during a robbery.
The picture aims to raise public awareness about the growing dangers faced by graveyard shift workers at 24-hour outlets.
The male victim from Taman Bunga Raya in Bukit Beruang was working the late-night shift at a 24-hour store in Taman Sin Hoe, Bukit Baru, when the lone assailant struck at around 4.40am on Saturday (June 14).
Melaka Tengah police chief Asst Comm Christopher Patit said the suspect, believed to be a delivery rider, entered the premises wearing a helmet and face mask.
'The suspect approached the counter under the pretext of requesting an RM50 e-wallet top-up before suddenly grabbing cash from the drawer,' he said late Saturday night.
ACP Christopher Patit said the employee resisted when the suspect seized RM300, prompting the attacker to strike him on the head with a baseball bat.
'The victim was rushed to Hospital Melaka with head injuries, and his condition is currently reported as stable,' he added.
The incident came to light after the store's supervisor, identified only as "Mr Tong," found the employee in such a condition and alerted authorities.
The same suspect is believed to be responsible for a second attempted robbery later the same day at another 24-hour outlet in Taman Saujana Puri in Bukit Katil.
"In that incident, the suspect used a similar modus operandi by pretending to request an e-wallet top-up.
'When the 31-year-old male cashier attempted to return the change, the suspect reached into the cash drawer and, when the employee tried to intervene, struck him on the wrist with a camera tripod," he said.
The suspect fled on a motorcycle, and the cashier sustained minor injuries.
Both cases are being investigated under Section 394 of the Penal Code for causing hurt in the course of committing robbery.
'We have obtained the suspect's fingerprint from one of the locations and are confident of arresting him soon,' he added.
This is not the first time 24-hour retail outlets in Melaka have been targeted.
In August 2023, Melaka police arrested a 32-year-old man in connection with a spree of 20 break-ins involving petrol station convenience stores across Johor, Negeri Sembilan, and Melaka.
The suspect used tools to smash glass doors and steal cash and goods worth thousands of ringgit.
In July 2021, a 48-year-old woman was detained following a series of smash-and-grab burglaries at petrol station convenience stores in the Melaka Tengah district.
