Two men disguised as couriers rob housewife, hide baby in barrel

 

Two men, disguised as courier company workers under the pretext of delivering a package, robbed a 30-year-old housewife at knifepoint in her house in Jalan Van Praagh, Jelutong, Penang last Monday.

The robbers also took the woman’s three-month-old son, gagged his mouth with a small towel before securing it with duct tape and then hid him in a barrel to force the victim to come up with cash.

Timur Laut district police chief Soffian Santong said the victim was at home with her baby boy and three-year-old daughter while her husband was at work as a project site manager in Batu Kawan during the incident at 10.30am.

“The suspects had knocked on the door and introduced themselves as employees of a courier company who wanted to deliver a big package.

“When the victim opened the door, one of the suspects brandished a knife and told the housewife not to scream,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Soffian said the suspects then took her gold chain worth RM1,200 and demanded RM50,000 in cash from the victim, to which she replied that she did not have much money.

“The two men who became angry took away the baby and hid him in a white barrel while they did not harm the woman’s daughter.

“When the suspects failed to get the money, they fled. The victim then searched for the baby and found him in the barrel,” he said, adding that police were tracking down the suspects.

Those with information on the incident are urged to contact the nearest police station at 04-2825922.

- Bernama