JOHOR BARU, March 9 — An armed robber fell off his getaway motorcycle when it hit a pothole after he robbed a petrol station in Jalan Permatang 2 in Kempas here yesterday.
The suspect, who was armed with a machete, was riding pillion when his accomplice hit a pothole, causing him to fall off the motorcycle in the 4.30pm incident. His accomplice then fled the scene without him.
Three Pakistani workers of the BHP petrol station then overpowered the 38-year-old suspect shortly after the attempted getaway.
A one-minute-and-22-second video of the BHP petrol station foreign workers capturing the suspect within the premises beside the busy Pasir Gudang highway went viral on social media today.
The video showed three Pakistani staff hitting the suspect and confiscating the machete from him while he lay on the road.
Johor Baru North police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Taib Ahmad said police were alerted to the incident and immediately despatched a patrol car to the location.
“Upon arrival, police found the victim by the petrol station’s road with head and body injuries. We also seized the 39cm machete that was used by the suspect.
“An ambulance was called, and a police team accompanied the suspect for treatment at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital pending investigations,” he told Malay Mail today.
It was learnt that the suspect, who had a visored helmet on, had earlier robbed the petrol station of money from the cash till and cigarettes while his accomplice manned the getaway motorcycle.
The staff then gave chase on foot for about 36 metres from the petrol station’s main entrance before the motorcycle hit a pothole.
Initial investigations revealed that the suspect, who hails from Bukit Mertajam in Penang, works as a security guard at a private company in Johor.
Mohd Taib said checks also revealed that the suspect had a prior narcotics case in Jelutong, Penang.
“The suspect has been remanded today to facilitate investigations and police are tracking down his accomplice who fled the scene,” he said, adding that police have classified the case under Section 395/397 of the Penal Code for gang and armed robbery, with intention to cause death or grievous hurt.
