KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 — Police are baffled over a robbery in which an employee of a gold wafer distributor had RM1.6 million in a sling bag while riding a motorcycle to a bank in Jalan Klang Lama yesterday morning. 

A police source said it was unusual to carry such a big amount of money in this manner, when normally armoured vehicles would be used to transport the cash. 

The source said initial investigations showed it was not an inside job involving the employee and his colleague, who was escorting him on another motorcycle.

The drama unfolded at about 10am when the 34-year-old man was on his way to a nearby bank to deposit money from the company’s daily sales.

Brickfields police chief ACP Sharul Othman Mansur said the man and his 54-year-old colleague were in Jalan Klang Lama next to the Newcorm building when five men in a Proton Wira rammed the colleague, who was riding behind the victim, three times. 

“The colleague fell after the motorcycle was hit the third time,” Sharul said.

“The employee, who saw this, tried to escape by speeding off but was surrounded by five men who came down from the car. They were joined by another six men on five motorcycles.”

Two men—one armed with a pistol and the other with a knife—approached the victim who had fallen off his motorcycle and one of them snatched the sling bag. The 11 then fled the scene.

Sharul said a background check on the victim showed he started work with the company three months ago and carried out various tasks including running errands. 

His colleague had been employed for six months.

“The colleague previously worked in several security companies and owned a firearm for safety purposes during cash transactions,” he said.

“The victim said the company usually deposited sums of between RM500,000 and RM1 million on a daily basis into its account.”

Shahrul said the RM1.6 million had been insured.

The duo were taken to the Brickfields police headquarters to have their statement recorded. 

“We showed the employee photo-fits of possible suspects and he recognised three men. He said he was 70 per cent sure they were involved,” Sharul said.

He said police recovered the car abandoned in Jalan Kuchai Lama several hours later.  Police have launched a manhunt for the group.

“The forensics team lifted fingerprints from the vehicle. We are also checking if there were closed-circuit television cameras in the vicinity,” Shahrul said.

The employee sustained injuries to his elbow, and his colleague broke his right shoulder bone.