TAWAU: Police foiled an attempt to steal cash from an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) outside a bank at Jalan Perbandaran, here, this morning.
A police patrol team nabbed a 27-year-old foreigner after passers-by spotted the man trying to pick the lock of one of the ATMs using a paper clip at 8.10am.
Acting district police chief Superintendent Nor Azizulkifli Mansor said the alarm did not go off as the suspect only managed to open the ATM's cover.
"He was able to open the front panel but failed to get to the safe," he explained.
Nor Azizulkifli said police were checking the suspect's mental state as he was said to have been spotted wandering aimlessly around town over the past few months.
He added that a urine test conducted on the man turned up positive with traces of methamphetamine although checks showed he has no previous criminal record.
"The suspect is currently being held for further questioning." he said.