Four suspected burglars gunned down

They were killed in a shoot out when police officers ambushed their Ampang Hilir hideout this morning

KUALA LUMPUR: Four suspected criminals were shot dead this morning in an exchange of fire with a group of police officers after supposedly committing a robbery nine hours earlier.

According to Kuala Lumpur police chief DCP Mohmad Salleh, the group was believed to have broken into a VIP’s house in Bukit Antarabangsa at 3.30am, and initial investigations showed that the group – Geng Ah Fatt – had been active in robbery for the past five years.

After the break-in, the group went into hiding in an empty unit at the state-owned People’s Housing Project (PPR) Ampang Hiliran.

Prior to the shoot out, police arrested a local man whom they believed to have purchased the burgled items from the gang members at about 12.20pm.

Following the man’s arrest, police stormed the burglars’ hideout and was fired at by the suspects, leading the police to open fire at them.

Two of the suspects were shot dead at the living hall, one in a room and another in the kitchen area.

“Before we went for the suspects, we detained a man who we believed to have bought the loot from the gang,” Mohmad said, adding that the police obtained the gang’s location from the man.

Further checks revealed that the police found a pistol and several stolen items in the empty flat and it was also learnt that the group was frequently hiding in Batam, only to enter Malaysia when the situation cooled off.

Meanwhile, police said they were still hunting for the two suspects who managed to escape with two guns.