KUALA TERENGGANU: A 27-year-old security guard has been nabbed less than 24 hours after he is believed to have destroyed hundreds of copies of the Quran and religious books at two mosques in Besut.
The man, who hails from Kampung Kluang in Besut and is known to have been treated for mental illness, was detained at about 5 pm yesterday in Besut, Terengganu Police chief Datuk Jamshah Mustapa said today.
He said the police were able to trace the suspect following a public tip-off and after viewing footage of closed-circuit television cameras at the mosques.
The police also seized a motorcycle, a handphone and several items belonging to the guard, he told a news conference here.
An investigation revealed that the suspect had been undergoing treatment at a hospital over the past two years for mental illness and this information was verified by his family, he said.
Jamshah said the suspect was injured in the legs, believed to have been sustained when he smashed a glass sliding door at one of the mosques.
Yesterday, there was an uproar in Kampung Limbongan when villagers found that a mosque in the area had been broken into and copies of religious books and the Quran had been torn and scattered all over, including in the mosque compound.
Several copies of the Quran were also found in the toilet bowls. The incident was detected at about 2.30 am by members of the Voluntary Patrol Scheme (SRS) in the Limbongan Rukun Tetangga Area.
A similar situation was also encountered at the Nasiruddin Shah Mosque in Kampung Raja, about 10 kilometres away.
Jamshah said the incident at the two mosques was the first case involving mischief at houses of worship reported in the state. He said the suspect was being held under remand for four days. – Bernama
