Quick action by cops ends robbery spree by armed group
KUCHING: Swift action by police brought an end to the crime spree of a samurai- and stick-wielding duo suspected of perpetrating four robberies in three districts over a two- day period.
State CID chief Datuk Dev Kumar said the two men, aged 24 and 26, were arrested together with a 19year- old female accomplice at a homestay facility in Kota Sentosa on Tuesday night.
“At 8.30pm Tuesday, a CID team from Kuching district headquarters, led by ASP Ooi Jin Bing, raided a room at a homestay at Mile 7 and arrested the three suspects.
“The suspects then led police to the recovery of a car used during the robberies. The vehicle, which was parked in front of a shoplot near the homestay, was reported stolen the same day,” he said in a statement yesterday.
He revealed that the arresting team also recovered a samurai sword, stick, two crash helmets, two pairs of gloves, cigarettes, lighters, mobile phones and cash from the suspects.
According to Dev Kumar, the first incident took place around 3am on Monday when two men, using full-face motorcycle helmets, entered a 24-hour convenience store in Kota Sentosa.
Brandishing a sword and stick, the pair forced the shop worker to hand over RM600 from the cash register before fleeing in a car.
“On Tuesday around 4am, the duo struck at another 24hour convenience store in Kota Samarahan. Both wore full-face helmets and used the sword and stick to force the shop assistant to hand over RM835 in cash and several cartons of cigarettes, before fleeing in a car.
“An hour later, they hit another convenience store in Stutong, Kuching and forced a foreign worker to hand over cash and cigarettes amounting to RM1,500 before fleeing the scene in the same car.
“At 12.30pm the same day, the suspects used the sedan car to
At 8.30pm Tuesday, a CID team from Kuching district headquarters, led by ASP Ooi Jin Bing, raided a room at a homestay at Mile 7 and arrested the three suspects. Datuk Dev Kumar, state CID chief
knock down a motorcyclist at the Kuching-Samarahan Expressway, causing the 18-year- old victim to sustain injuries on his knees.
“One of the suspects came out of the vehicle wielding a samurai sword and forced the victim to hand over his mobile phone, identification documents and cash amounting to RM16,” Dev Kumar said, adding the female accomplice was believed to be in the car during the commission of all four robberies.
He further revealed that a task force was formed immediately to nab the culprits before they could do more harm, saying the suspects’ identities and possible hideout were established within hours.
All three suspects who are jobless tested positive for methamphetamine and were remanded yesterday for seven days until Sept 13 for further investigation under Section 395 and Section 397 of the Penal Code.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Amer Awal congratulated district police chief ACP Abang Ahmad Abang Julai and his CID team for bringing a quick end to the group’s crime spree.