Man left in coma after being robbed

KUANTAN: A businessman is in a coma after being robbed at gunpoint and shot in the neck at his business premises near here yesterday.

The 40-year-old is in Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital’s intensive care unit.

Sources said three police corporals, aged between 25 and30, had been nabbed to facilitate investigations into the case.

It is learnt that two of them, who are attached with the district Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Department, were picked up at two locations here between 8am and 9am.

The third policeman, who is with the state police headquarter’s control centre, was nabbed at Jalan Pintasan Kuantan Pelabuhan here at 9am.

The arrests came just three hours of the incident at the victim’s premises at Kampung Jaya Gading.

The sources said police got their lead after one of the suspects had accidentally dropped his wallet at the crime scene.

It is learnt that they had arrived at the victim’s cigarette storage area and demanded money from him.

“However, the victim refused, which triggered an altercation. One of the suspects fired a shot hitting the victim’s neck,” a source said.

The suspects then fled the scene in a Perodua Viva.

Members of the public who heard the gunshot rushed to help the victim and sent him to the hospital.

At the crime scene, police scouring the area for clues found a wallet believed to have been dropped by one of the suspects.

Sources said the find led police to the suspects’ arrests.

“The suspects will be remanded to assist with the investigation.

“We believe that robbery is the motive behind the shooting,” the sources said.

District police chief Assistant Commissioner Abdul Aziz Salleh confirmed that a report has been received on the incident and the case was being investigated under Section 8 (a) of the Firerms Act 1960.