SEREMBAN — An e-hailing driver found his car driven away by his passenger, after leaving it with the latter while stopping at a petrol station in Bandar Ainsdale early yesterday.

Seremban police said the 3.30am incident occurred after the 61-year-old driver picked up a passenger in Taman Bukit Jed before stopping to refuel his Toyota Vios.

“The driver had picked up a 22-year-old male passenger in Taman Bukit Jed for a trip to Sri Subang, near Petaling Jaya, Selangor, at about 3am. 

“He is believed to have stopped at a petrol station to refuel before heading to the toilet,” Berita Harian quoted Seremban district police chief ACP Mohamad Hatta Che Din saying.

Mohamad Hatta said the driver was believed to have left the engine running as the passenger remained inside.

“When he came out of the toilet shortly afterwards, he found the car missing and suspected that the male passenger had driven off with it before lodging a police report,” he said.

Police later detained the man in Seri Subang and found the car parked at an apartment complex. “The suspect was arrested at about 12pm yesterday and admitted to taking the vehicle,” Mohamad Hatta said.

He said the car’s GPS system helped police trace it and apprehend the suspect, who had three prior criminal records in Seremban for mischief and theft, and another for vehicle theft in Sungai Way, Selangor.

The case is being investigated under Section 379A of the Penal Code, while a urine test on the suspect returned positive for methamphetamine.