NIBONG TEBAL: Two Vietnamese men suspected of being thieves were shot dead after they allegedly attacked police officers with machetes in the early hours of Friday morning.
Penang police chief Comm Datuk Hamzah Ahmad said the incident occurred at 3.20am when officers from the Crime Investigation Department, who were on patrol, noticed a suspicious car parked along Jalan Bukit Panchor in Nibong Tebal.
“Upon approaching the vehicle, two men exited a nearby factory. The officers instructed the suspects to stop, but the men, armed with machetes, attacked the police. The officers then fired four shots in self-defence,” he said during a press conference at the Seberang Perai Selatan District Police Headquarters on Friday (Sept 27).
The suspects, aged 38 and 39, were pronounced dead at the scene. Comm Hamzah added that the men were suspects in multiple house and factory break-ins.
“The men, who were in the country on tourist visas, have multiple previous criminal records. Our investigation has resolved 11 cases involving break-ins at various premises, six in Penang and five in Kedah, with total losses amounting to RM317,700,” he said.
The case is currently being investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder. The bodies of the suspects have been sent to Seberang Perai Hospital for further investigation.
