KUALA LUMPUR: A fake money changer syndicate member was shot dead and four suspects were arrested following a high-speed car chase with police on Jalan Memanda 2, Ampang on Sunday.
The syndicate, known as Gang Gagak Hitam, was in the midst of robbing a victim when police stumbled upon them.
City police chief Comm Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim said the syndicate offered unusually high exchange rates to change US dollars to Malaysian ringgit to entice potential victims on social media.
"They would lure their victim to a secluded spot and rob them.
"In this case they had offered an exchange rate of 6.5 to a businessman who wanted to exchange USD150,000," he said during a press conference at city police headquarters on Sunday.
(The ringgit was last traded at 3.9 against the US dollar)
Comm Mazlan said the 28-year-old businessman met two local men, who acted as middlemen, at a five-star hotel in the city around 10.30pm on Saturday (May 19).
"They then introduced the businessman to an Arabian man who led them into a car and the victim was driven to a secluded spot on Jalan Damai at around 1am.
"At the location, four African men arrived in another car and 'ambushed' them using machetes and a taser before taking the cash," he said.
Thankfully, a team of police officers who were patrolling the area spotted the robbery.
"They saw the Arabian man get out and jump into the second car with the four Africans and took off. My men gave chase until Jalan Memanda 2, Ampang where the suspects got out of the car and tried to escape separately on foot," he said.
The team also split up and continued their pursuit.
One of the suspects ran towards an empty construction site and tried to attack two officers who were chasing him.
"He confronted them with a machete and they had to open fire to defend themselves, killing him," he said.
The Arabian and another African were nabbed while the two other Africans escaped with the cash.
Police also arrested the two local middlemen to assist in investigations.
All four, aged between 28 to 50, have been remanded for four days.
"We have been tracking this gang for a while now. We have had 40 reports of similar cases since 2016 with losses over RM12mil.
"In fact, the team was patrolling the area at Jalan Damai because that particular location was where other similar cases had taken place," he said.
Comm Mazlan urged the public to refrain from being enticed to exchange currencies for a better rate on the black market.
"You can find yourself losing all your money just because of your greed," he said.
Police are still tracking the two escaped syndicate members.
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