PETALING JAYA, Aug 11 — A serial thief wearing red shoes with a penchant for Apple products has been hitting offices nationwide during lunch time over the last three years.

His identity was revealed when 32-year-old Philip Subash Varges posted a screen grab of a closed-circuit television (CCTV) recording on his Facebook page of the man who stole from his office on Tuesday.

The posting garnered attention from nine other victims who shared similar cases where the same suspect, with his distinctive red shoes, was captured on CCTV.

Philip said his office at Ativo Plaza in Bandar Sri Damansara was broken into at about 1pm after most of his colleagues had gone for lunch. 

“The suspect rang our doorbell a few times to check if there was anyone in,” he said. 

“He left for a few minutes before returning, and rang the bell again to confirm there was no one in.” 

The suspect then tampered with the electronic card access system before entering.

Philip believed the suspect had an accomplice elsewhere as the footage showed he was constantly on his phone during the break-in. 

“Two iMacs and two Macbook Pro from our office were stolen within five minutes,” he said. 

CCTV footage from an elevator camera showed the suspect casually carrying the iMacs under his arm and the Macbooks in his backpack. 

Philip’s post garnered widespread attention as other victims claimed the same suspect had broken into their offices in Johor Baru, Mutiara Damansara, Damansara Perdana, Batu Caves, Sri Hartamas, Kelana Jaya and Bandar Sri Damansara since 2013. 

Most of the victims said they  lost Apple products such as laptops, desktops and other electronic devices.

Some of the images and encounters shared by the victims showed the suspect wearing a pair of red shoes and carrying a backpack. He would ring the doorbell of the premises in every case to see if it was occupied. 

Facebook user Robson Lai commented on Philip’s post: “This was the guy who stole my Macbook and handphone from my office in Batu Caves on Dec 2013. Reported the matter to the police but looks like he is still active.”

Another Facebook user, Sharm Sds, said: “This is the same guy who broke into my husband’s office in Kelana Jaya in March 2015. Two laptops with important data were stolen. They lodged a report but looks like he is still at large. Why is it so difficult for action to be taken fast? If you guys notice, he is active around 1pm onwards.”

Petaling Jaya police chief ACP Mohd Zani Che Din confirmed the incident and said police were investigating.