Crimes On The Rise In The Sultanate But Not Alarming Say Police
By Azlan Othman

Bandar Seri Begawan - An increase of 17.7 per cent in crime cases was recorded last year compared to 2003 but the figure was not alarming and crimes were under control as they did not involve serious cases, police said yesterday.

The rise was due to an increase in crime cases beyond the control of the enforcement officers, said SAC Peng Eng Lee,the Director of Criminal Investigation Department, in a media conference yesterday.

These cases included child abuse, causing minor injury, car break-in and theft, fraud, breach of thrust and vandalism, he said.

Also present was Snr. Supt Pg. Hj Abd Wahab B. Pg. Hj Omar, Deputy Director of CID I (Operation).

Last year, 4,796 criminal cases were recorded, out of which 3,558 were handled by the police and the remaining 1.238 by other enforcement agencies.

There were 3,558 cases handled by the police last year, compared to 3,001 in 2003, an increase of 18.6 per cent.

Meanwhile, cases handled by other agencies also jumped to 1,238 cases, compared to 1,074 in 2003, an increase of 15.3 per cent.

The number of arrests made last year also increased by 10 per cent to 2,798 compared to only 2550 arrests in 2003. However the solving rate has dropped, from 47 per cent in 2003 to 41 per cent in 2004.

As for index crimes, crime against property recorded the highest with 55.2 per cent compared to the other three categories of crime against persons, other offences under the penal code and offences under other acts, which totaled 44.8 per cent.

Some 638 crimes against persons were recorded. Convicts who carried out these offences totaled 186 persons. The police have solved 81.5 per cent or 520 cases.

Five murder cases were recorded in the crime against persons last year, out of which three were already solved.

The cases involved the discovery of a female human skeleton aged around 20 in a jungle in Kg. Kupang, which is still unsolved; a father stabbed by his son in a family dispute in Kg. Subok; separate killings of two newly-born children by their biological mothers employed as domestic helpers; and a recent brutal murder case involving a family of three in Kg. Serusop.

One kidnapping case was recorded last year. A five-year-old child was kidnapped while her mother bought rice near the RIPAS hospital.

There were 16 child abuse cases, where the culprits were parents and domestic helpers. Six cases have been solved.

Seventeen out of 21 rape cases that occurred last year had been solved. Thirty people had been arrested.

Those who committed rape included biological father, grandfather relative and employer. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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