Police in Almaty have detained a man caught on surveillance cameras in the hallways of residential buildings as he tugged at apartment door handles to check whether they were locked. The city police department announced the detention of the suspected apartment burglar, according to infohub.kz.
According to a post on the Almaty police department's Instagram account, officers acted immediately after video of the suspected apartment thief spread on social media. The investigation led them to a man with a prior criminal record.
"According to the investigation, the man operated mainly in Almaty and Astana. He tugged at door handles in search of careless owners. He checked building entrances and looked for apartments with unlocked doors. Front doors without locks gave him an opportunity to enter other people's homes freely and steal property. In Almaty, his involvement has been proven in six apartment burglaries. In one case, a bag containing 20,000 tenge disappeared from an apartment hallway; in another, the damage amounted to 40,000 tenge," police said.
The police department added that the suspect has been detained. The investigation is ongoing, and all circumstances of his unlawful activity are being established.
Kazakhstanis were also reminded that an unlocked door is an invitation to a thief. Even a brief absence from an apartment is no reason to neglect safety.