Cellphone store break-in: Suspect remanded for 20 days

The man who was arrested on suspicion of breaking into a cellphone store located on Majeedhee Magu, the main road of Male’ City, has been remanded in custody for 20 days by the Criminal Court.

The break-in at Xeonmobiles 4 was reported to the police at around 05:35am on Monday. Ahmed Niyaz, 47, Finoroalhi, HA. Maarandhoo, was arrested in connection to the case on the same day.

Police searched Niyaz’s backpack following his arrest during which they found nine mobile phones suspected to be stolen from the store.

CCTV footage of the theft which has gone viral on social media shows that at least two people were involved in the crime.

A security camera positioned outside the store shows a man wearing a cap, a striped t-shirt and shorts, and carrying a backpack, hit the glass doors of the store with an object as he walks by, shattering it.

A camera placed inside the store shows a second man, wearing a t-shirt and shorts, pry open the cash register. He takes the cash in the register, and proceeds to put the merchandise on display in the store into multiple bags.

The camera positioned outside the store shows some of the boxes of mobile phones falling out of the bags as he makes his exit. He picks them up from the ground and puts them back in the bags as he walks away.

The camera also shows people passing by the store while the crime is taking place.

As per statistics disclosed by the Police, a total of 3,124 cases related to theft have been reported to the authority so far this year.