SHAH ALAM, May 15 — The police have cast a dragnet for a former army captain who allegedly escaped with RM2.6 million from the vault room of a security company at Jalan Indah in the Rawang Industrial Park near here yesterday.

The 38-year-old fugitive, who had worked as manager for just two months at the company’s branch had fled with the loot on a motorcycle after locking up his three colleagues in another room.

Selangor CID deputy chief (Investigation and Legislation) ACP R. Supramaniam said the man who was armed with a pump-action shotgun had put the money in two big sacks at the time of his getaway about 12.30am.

He said initial investigations revealed the suspect was at the two-storey office on the pretext of spending the night there while two other employees were manning the premises.

"(Earlier) He had gone out for a drink. Upon returning to the office about 12.30am, the man called up one of his colleagues to check the vault room located on the ground floor, which he said was unlocked.

"When his friend came down, the suspect brandished a pump-action shotgun and locked him in a nearby room.

"Later, he called another colleague who was asleep and locked him up as well. He did the same to the chief cashier after claiming the vault room was unlocked,” Supramaniam told reporters at the Selangor police contingent headquarters here today.

He said based on the footage of the company's closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, the former army captain had fled scene along with the money in two big sacks while riding the motorcycle which was parked in front of the premises.

"We are investigating whether there were other accomplices involved in the incident. We also believe that the suspect, whose last address was Taman Muda in Ampang, is still in the country,” he said.

Supramaniam said a check revealed that the suspect was dismissed from the army in 2011 after being investigated under Section 36 of the Arms Act 1960, and had since been doing various jobs.

Meanwhile, the fugitive’s three colleagues in their 30s and 50s were remanded until tomorrow to facilitate investigations under Section 392/397 of the Penal Code and Section 8 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971.

Those with information on the case can contact the Gombak police headquarters at 03-61262222 or investigating officer Inspector G. Jegathiswaran at 010-9671818. — Bernama