MELAKA: The police have arrested a woman who stole a gold bar from a jeweller's here on Oct 30 after asking to examine the item on the pretext of buying it.

Melaka Tengah District Police chief ACP Christopher Patit said the 25-year-old woman came to the shop at about 4.30 pm and asked the manager to show her a 100-gm gold bar valued at RM29,000 that was in a showcase.

The 45-year-old manager obliged, but after about three minutes the woman fled with the gold bar, and the manager failed in his attempt to catch her, he said in a statement.

The woman entered a car in which there were two other people, and the car sped off, he said.

Christopher said the manager lodged a police report, and the police detained a suspect at a house in Taman Malim Jaya at 6.45 pm yesterday.

The gold bar was recovered in a raid on another house, in Taman Seri Mangga, at 7.20 pm yesterday, he said, adding that the suspect, who is unemployed, had committed thefts previously.

-- BERNAMA