Five robbers shot dead in goldsmith heist

KUALA LUMPUR: A dramatic shootout in the car park of a busy shopping mall here saw four robbers dead, one arrested and a policeman injured.

Another robber in the getaway car was shot dead several metres away as he tried to escape the police.

During the 4.30pm incident yesterday, a team from Selangor CID was responding to a call about suspicious activity when they ran into a gang of robbers fresh from a goldsmith heist at the mall in Kuchai Lama.

Gunfire erupted immediately, with four robbers shot dead and one arrested. One of the policemen was shot in the knee.

City police chief Comm Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim said another gang member, who was driving the getaway car, heard the gunshots and sped off.

Crime scene: A police forensic unit examining the scene of the shooting at the Kuchai Lama mall after the shootout. — Bernama

“A high-speed pursuit took place. We caught up with him about 400m away from the mall where another shootout resulted in his death.

“Luckily, we were able to stop the robbers before they got away with the loot, and no members of the public were hurt,” he told reporters at the scene yesterday.

The police seized two firearms, an axe, a machete and two cars but have yet to identify the robbers.

The injured policeman has been sent to University Malaya Medical Centre for treatment.

“There have been a few robberies lately, and we have been stepping up our efforts to crack down on them.

“This mall has been robbed before so we have been watching it closely,” said Comm Mazlan.