SEBERANG PERAI, Feb 11 — Six men, including an immigration officer, were detained over the last four days for their alleged involvement in a series of gang robbery cases.

Seberang Prai Tengah district police chief Assistant Commissioner Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abd Hamid said one of the robberies occurred in Bukit Mertajam on January 7.

He said four suspects went to a businessman’s house at about 1am and identified themselves as immigration officers.

One of the suspects was in full immigration officer uniform while the other three wore caps with the Immigration Department logo.

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Nik Ros said the suspects demanded to inspect the identification documents of the businessman and his wife.

He said after going through the document they accused the victim of producing false documents and proceeded to enter the house on the pretext of conducting investigations.

“Three of them went into the couple’s room and found the couple’s cash RM21,126 which they pretended to seize,” he said.

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The suspects immediately left after taking the cash and suspecting something amiss, the businessman lodged a police report immediately after that.

ACP Nik Ros said they made the first arrests of two suspects, aged 44 and 24 years old, on February 7 at a flat in Bukit Tengah and two handphones were seized in the raid.

The 44-year-old is a Rohingya migrant while the 24-year-old is Malaysian.

In the follow-up second arrest, another 44-year-old Rohingya migrant was arrested at a house in Bukit Mertajam while several bags, jewellery and three handphones were seized.

ACP Nik Ros said another Rohingya migrant, aged 37, was arrested at Kampung Kemunting in Karangan, Kedah and two handphones were seized.

A 43-year-old Malaysian with four previous criminal records, was arrested at Sungai Kob in Karangan, Kedah and a handphone was seized.

“On February 10, a 33-year-old immigration officer was arrested at the Immigration Depot in Belantik, Sik in Kedah,” he said.

Police also seized several sets of clothing, a pair of handcuffs with the word ‘immigration’ engraved on it, a handphone and the suspect’s immigration department identification card.

He said based on initial investigations only five out of the six suspects arrested admitted to robbing the businessman in Bukit Mertajam.

“The immigration officer admitted to using his immigration identification and uniform to enter the house,” he said.

He said two other suspects are believed to be still at large including another immigration officer based in Alor Setar, Kedah.

He added that all suspects have admitted involvement in three other gang robbery cases between November 4 and February 3 in Seberang Jaya, Batu Kawan and Simpang Ampat.