IPOH, June 22 — Two men believed to be part of an armed gang that carried out 14 house break-ins in Perak, Selangor and Negri Sembilan over the past 12 months were killed in a shootout with police in Muallim near here early yesterday morning.
Perak police chief Datuk Seri Abdul Rahim Hanafi said the incident occurred after a joint state police-Bukit Aman team tried to stop a car along the Proton City-Behrang Ulu road at around 5.30am.
He said the car sped off with police in hot pursuit until they overtook the vehicle a short distance away.
He said police ordered the duo who emerged from the car to surrender but one of them opened fire while the other attacked policemen with a parang.
“Some of the shots fired hit the police car but no one was injured,” he said, adding that police fired in self-defence.
He said police recovered a semi-automatic Barreta pistol, two live bullets, four bullet shells, three parang and tools used for break-ins.
The car used by the robbers carried a false registration plate.
The suspects in their 40s did not carry any identification but police believe them to be Indonesian nationals.
Abdul Rahim said police were looking for two other members of the gang.
He said the gang usually identified ‘soft targets’ in quiet areas where they would tie up victims before ransacking the place.
