A burglar who has broken into a Malaysian home stayed there for three days, world agencies report.

Homeowners, who returned from a vacation on Thursday, found him petrified and dehydrated and called an Ambulance, police official Abdul Marlik Hakim Johar confirmed.

The burglar claims he was trapped by a supernatural force, resembling a ghost, which would not allow him to eat or drink. After the police arrived, the 36-year-old thief said the apparition threw him to the floor every time he tried to escape.

The police were left with nothing else but to investigate the case. For the time being, they did not wish to comment or give any details concerning the inquest. The petrified burglar is currently recovering in hospital.