Bintulu, Sarawak - Two Bruneian families got the shock of their lives when one of the families' vehicles was stolen and the other, smashed into, in a recent trip to Bintulu, Sarawak to buy local fruit.

Speaking to the Bulletin yesterday, a member of one of the families, who wished to only be identified as an elderly citizen, said the mishaps occurred in a space of two days at a hotel near Bintulu Plaza.

In the first incident, a pickup truck parked near the staircase went missing. Important vehicle documents, including insurance, and a cool-box were inside the car.

In the second incident a handphone was stolen from inside an SUV, which was smashed into, at the basement car park at the hotel. The SUV, which was equipped with an alarm system, was not stolen.

In describing the ordeal, the victim said her pickup truck was still there at 4.30am. Much to her surprise, the vehicle went missing about half an hour later. Police reports were lodged at the Bintulu Police Station and subsequently at Seria Police Station.

"I thought it was safe to park our cars at the hotel area. To my dismay, it's not. We blamed the hotel security staff for their carelessness and asked for compensation. However, the hotel could only give us free accommodation," she added.

In view of such incidents, she urged Bruneians wishing to cross the border during the upcoming end-of-the-year school holiday to be extra cautious.