Mastermind of murder-cum-robbery held

KUALA LUMPUR: Three more suspects, including the mastermind of a robbery-cum-murder case of a retired director of the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) in Bukit Bandaraya, Bangsar last Sunday, were arrested early yesterday.

Federal police CID director Comm Datuk Huzir Mohamed said yesterday among the trio was a 23-year-old suspect who is allegedly one of the two robbers who had confronted the victim, Dr Wan Hassan Wan Embong, 71, at his two-storey bungalow.

“The suspect also confessed to slashing the victim to death during the robbery. He has two criminal records. With his arrest, the case is considered solved,” Huzir said at a press conference at Bukit Aman.

He said the first arrest was made at 3.30am in Jalan Genting Kelang yesterday before another suspect was held an hour later at Air Panas, Setapak.

Huzir said at 5am, the duo led police to the mastermind, who had gone into hiding, at an undisclosed location at Jalan Rinching, Semenyih.

Police learnt that four suspects were involved in the robbery, where two broke into the victim’s house while the other two kept watch in a getaway car.

He said police are looking for another man who colluded with the detained suspects. The robbers were also involved in another case in Titiwangsa, where they held up a 32-year-old engineer about an hour after breaking into Wan Hassan’s house.

Huzir said the latest arrest of the trio was a follow-up operation on the arrest of 10 men, including a prime suspect, at a condominium unit in Jalan Sultan Ismail by Kuala Lumpur police last Sunday.

The suspects, who lived together in the rented apartment, had criminal records for burglary, robbery and other crimes.

Wan Hassan died at his home after he was attacked by two armed robbers who had broken in.

He was slashed in the face and neck with a sharp weapon.

Wan Hassan confronted the robbers when they demanded cash and valuables while his wife, Sarifah Yusof, 70, a retired teacher, hid in a room. She was also slashed in her right hand.

The robbers got away with some valuables and escaped through a kitchen window before pulling off the robbery at the engineer’s house.

The engineer and his family, who were gagged and tied up, were unhurt in the incident.

Police urged those with information on Sugu Thangarajoo@Abdul ( MyKad No 930424-02-6177) to contact the nearest police station.