KUCHING: Two snatch thieves managed to escape despite the best efforts from the public, which saw one couple ramming into the suspects’ motorcycle but this did not stop the duo from escaping yesterday.

Of more pressing concern was the alleged slow response from the police despite being contacted by the couple soon after the thieves escaped on foot into a nearby jungle after nearly being knocked to the ground.

The incident happened near Taman BDC when two men riding a black-coloured motorcycle snatched a handbag belonging to a 41-year-old woman from Jalan Green around 3.30pm. The handbag contained RM6,000, which the woman had withdrawn about an hour earlier from a bank at Mile 3.

After leaving the bank, the woman headed to BDC to meet up with a friend and was in the middle of a conversation when the suspects rode up and grabbed the purse from inside her Toyota Unser.

The woman and her friend, however, immediately gave chase and nearly knocked the motorcycle down, but the duo managed to avoid the vehicle and disappeared into Lorong 3 of a nearby housing area.

At that point, a couple, coincidentally driving past the area, witnessed the incident and joined in the chase. Familiar with the housing area, the couple knew the snatch thieves would have to double back out as the lane was a dead end and, true enough, encountered the suspects on their way out.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the couple rammed into the suspects and knocked them to the ground but the duo still managed to pick themselves up and took off on foot into a nearby secondary jungle.

At that juncture, the couple told reporters that they called the Sekama police station at 3.45pm requesting for assistance to track down the suspects but were taken aback when told by the officer at the other end of the line that they would have to lodge a police report of the incident first.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the apparent lackadaisical attitude of the police, the husband added that a mobile patrol vehicle (MPV) only showed up at the scene about an hour after the incident and dismissed the ‘quick response’ ability by police as nothing more than empty talk.

“They call for cooperation from the public and say they can respond in less than 10 minutes. Had they been quick, I am confident the suspects could have been arrested as they were only running on foot,” he lamented, adding that even though his car was damaged in the incident, it would have been worthwhile had the duo been caught.

The motorcycle was later taken back to the police station for investigation while the victim lodged a report of the incident.

Police are investigating.