Monday October 18, 2010
Wanted men gunned down
KUANTAN: Five men, high on the police wanted list, were shot dead by police after a 15km car chase which ended in Indera Mahkota near here. The men, believed to be foreigners, were shot dead at 4.15am yesterday, not long after the car they were fleeing in skidded while negotiating a bend.
All five were killed on the spot when they refused to surrender and tried to attack the policemen with parang. State CID chief Asst Comm T. Narenasagaran said police cornered the five suspects and urged them to give themselves up. After the car crashed, the men charged at the police personnel.
“We have followed the procedures and had to shoot them in self-defence,” he said. ACP Narenasagaran said the identities of the five had been withheld by police pending investigations. He said police believe the group had committed various robberies in at least four districts namely Maran, Jerantut, Temerloh and Kuantan.
“We believe the group was responsible for nine robbery cases in four districts. This group was extremely dangerous and aggressive, and did not hesitate to harm their victims who retaliated or fought back,” he said. ACP Narenasagaran said police had launched Ops Rantau to hunt for the wanted men and got their break after the group committed a robbery in Balok near here yesterday.
He said the five men had broken into a house at 3.30am and tied up a family of four before escaping with an undisclosed amount of cash, jewellery and cellphones. He said one of the victims untied himself and alerted the police shortly after the five suspects fled. Acting on the information, police patrol units spotted the getaway car and gave chase leading to the shooting.
