A source said police arrested the 24-year-old man at a shopping mall car park in Damansara on April 1 and seized several luxury watches and pawn shop receipts, Berita Harian reported.

The man reportedly took the 12 watches, including brands such as Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Richard Mille, at about 12.10pm on March 31 before disappearing from the premises.

The theft was discovered after a colleague noticed all the display watches missing shortly after the man had been in the store’s storage area.

“CCTV footage later confirmed that the suspect had placed the watches in a backpack before leaving,” the source said.

Some of the stolen items were later recovered after a friend of the suspect returned a bag containing seven watches, reportedly without knowing what was inside.

Cheras police chief Rosdi Daud confirmed the arrest and said the suspect had since been charged and sentenced to a year’s jail and caning.