Gold robbery gang leader wanted dead in police shootout

IPOH: A 43-year-old wanted criminal was killed after a shootout with police in Jalan Slim Lama, Tanjung Malim.

Perak police chief Datuk Comm Azizi Mat Aris said the incident happened on Monday (Oct 14) at about 3.10am.

He said that during surveillance and patrolling, policemen had attempted to stop a speeding car driven by a suspected leader of a gold theft gang, who refused to heed instructions to stop.

“When they ordered the suspect to stop his vehicle, he refused to do so, and the suspect then fired at the police personnel, forcing them to return fire.

“The suspect was killed at the scene,” he said at a press conference at the headquarters of the state police contingent on Monday (October 14).

Commissioner Azizi said the eight policemen were not injured.

He said the suspect from Klang, is believed to be one of the masterminds of a criminal gang that carries out gold heists targeting wholesalers.

He said the suspect had 11 criminal records for various crimes.

“The gang the suspect is involved with had carried out at least 25 such robberies in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Perak since 2018, with losses suffered by victims totaling 34, RM2 million,” he added.

He said in the latest case the gang targeted a gold supplier in Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur on August 27.

He said police are looking for the other gang members.

“The car used by the suspect is reported stolen, and the license plate of the car used was false.

“Inside the car, the police recovered, among other things, a pistol with the brand “Sig Sauer”, a pistol magazine, six bullets inside the chamber, and five bullets in the magazine, and two machetes with the word “Tramontina made in Brazil”, he added.