KOTA KINABALU, Feb 6 — Police shot and injured a robbery suspect who was high on drugs after he attempted to attack policemen with a car jack and a machete yesterday morning.
The incident unfolded when a police patrol unit spotted four men behaving suspiciously in a van at Kampung Lokub, Jalan Sepanggar here at 2am.
Sabah deputy police chief Commissioner Datuk Razarudin Hussain said upon seeing police approaching them, the suspects panicked and sped off into oncoming traffic and a chase ensued.
“About 10 minutes later, the van collided with another vehicle and crashed into a ditch.
“The driver was injured, while the others escaped and ran towards a nearby residential area.
“One of the suspects threw a car jack at the cops and before charging at them with a machete,” said Razarudin.
He said one of the corporal shot the suspect from distance of about a metre with an MP5 submachine gun and the bullet hit him on his right leg.
The 31-year-old suspect is currently being held at the hospital and tested positive for methamphetamine and amphetamines.
He also had a history of past records for drug offences and was jailed in 2012 and 2015.
“Based on the items recovered from the suspects, we believe they were planning committing a robbery in the area but panicked when we spotted them,” he said at a press conference here at the Penampang district headquarters today.
Among the items seized were a machete, a metal bar and masks in the van.
The van belonged to one of the suspect’s uncle and he was picked up last night to assist investigations.
Meanwhile, Razarudin said police also apprehended seven men and one woman, believed to be behind a smuggling ring of some RM700,000 worth of alcohol, cigarettes and firecrackers ahead of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
The suspects, including the 28-year-old woman, were arrested from a shophouse in Donggongon at 4.40pm on Sunday.
Police seized 934 cartons of various beer, 13 cartons of various hard liquor, 717 cartons of cigarettes and 124 firecrackers as well as recovered some RM66, 271 cash in the raid.
“Police monitored the area two weeks before moving in on them,” he said, adding that they were investigating the case under the Customs Act and Explosives Act 1957.
