KUANTAN, MALAYSIA: A snatch thief was so persistent that he approached a victim twice at a goldsmith outlet in Jalan Mahkota here on Thursday.

The suspect grabs Mariana's bag and makes a run for it.

However, the man wasn't expecting Mariana's husband, Mohd Nor Ahmad (left) to try to recover his wife's handbag.

Unfortunately, he met his match when he was assaulted by the victim's husband who was about to fetch his wife at the outlet. At the same time, the closed-circuit television also recorded the whole incident.

Mariana Mahmudin, 41, said the suspect came to the outlet at 3pm on the pretext of buying a gold chain.

"The suspect, in his 20s, came for the second time about two hours later. He immediately snatched my handbag on the counter before trying to escape," said Mariana who is the salesperson at the outlet.

Mariana said she managed to grab her handbag but fell and lost her grip when the suspect, who was wearing a full-faced helmet, pulled hard.

Mariana's husband, Mohd Nor Ahmad, who saw the incident ran after the suspect and managed to kick and punch him.

"He fell on the ground but managed to escape with an accomplice who was waiting on a motorcycle," said 42-year-old Mohd Nor.

He said it was very frustrating that several onlookers and shopowners who saw the incident did not help him catch the suspect who got away with the handbag.