IPOH, Jan 2 — A gang of five masked men are believed to have robbed a Taiping hypermarket of around RM 200,000 early yesterday morning.

The robbers, who were armed with an array of weapons, allegedly entered the hypermarket at around 1.05am.

Acting Taiping police chief Supt Razlam Ab Hamid said the group started the robbery by ambushing two of the security guards on duty at the back section of the hypermarket.

"The suspects wore masks that covered the entirety of their faces, except their eyes,” he said in a statement delivered via Whatsapp today.

"Armed with machetes, crowbars, and steel rods, they overpowered the two guards and tied them up with rope, before covering their heads with cloth.”

"The guards were then taken to a loading bay. After around five minutes, two more security guards were brought to the same place and left there.”

Razlam said the guards managed to free themselves at around 4.30am.

The guards then found that a metal door leading to the hypermarket’s staff entrance had been cut open.

"In total, around RM 200,000 in cash was taken from the store,” said Razlam.

Razlam said the suspects were believed to be foreigners, adding that the hypermarket was equipped with closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

The case is being investigated under sections 395 and 397 of the Penal Code, for gang-robbery and robbery when armed or with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt respectively.