KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 — The recent spate of jewellery store robberies within four days in Cheras, Bangi and Seremban was the job of the same "lightning" gang, a police source has revealed today.
The source, who is close to the investigations, told Malay Mail this was established after police last night in Seremban recovered the same shotgun that was stolen from a security guard during the Cheras robbery on New Year’s eve.
"The serial number of the shotgun found at the robbery premises in Seremban last night matched the gun that was stolen in Cheras.
"We are also certain now that the Bangi incident is the job of the same gang with a similar modus operandi used," the source said.
The source further explained in all three cases, the suspects committed the robbery within three minutes and had their accomplices waiting outside of the robbery premises.
"For them to go in and out within three minutes in all three cases shows they would have studied these areas much earlier, before striking," he said.
At least six to 12 suspects, armed with guns and various robbery tools, are involved in all earlier robberies.
The suspects also wore full-faced helmets and fired warning shots in all incidents.
Earlier today, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun also told Malay Mail that all state police in the country have been told to be on high alert following the heists.
Last night in Seremban, a jewellery shop in the Palm Mall shopping centre in Kemaman Square was robbed by a group of eight gunmen who fled with six trays worth of jewelleries.
All eight robbers, who were wearing full-faced helmets, stormed into the store and smashed the glass display panels and grabbed the trays within three minutes during the incident, which occured at 8pm.
A shotgun was found near the premises, believed to have been discarded by one of the fleeing robbers.
Just hours before this incident, a trio of robbers wearing motorcycle helmet visors had also carted away RM370,000 worth of jewelleries in less than three minutes from a goldsmith in Taman Bangi Avenue in CS Supermarket, Persiaran Bangi Avenue.
Eye witnesses claimed three suspects used a hammer to break the display cases before escaping on two motorcycles at 11.22am.
The suspects escaped with three trays of jewelleries hallmarked with the 916 stamp which indicated the ornaments contained 91.6 per cent of pure gold.
On New Year's Eve, a gold heist took place in about three minutes at a shopping mall in Taman Segar, Cheras, which involved a group of 10 men armed with gun and hammers, who fled with jewelleries worth RM1.5 million.
During this incident, the robbers also robbed the security guards’ shotgun.
A robbery involving two armed robbers had also unfolded at the Wah Chan store in Giant Kota Damansara at 10.55am on November 1, last year, with RM1.1 million worth of gold items stolen.
