JASIN: Even as durian prices continue to fall this season, the king of fruits remains a lucrative target when three machete-wielding robbers took four baskets of premium-grade durians after threatening two teenage orchard caretakers here.
Jasin OCPD Supt Lee Robert said the robbery took place at about 11.30am on Saturday (June 27) at a durian orchard in Anjung Gapam, Bemban, here where the two teenagers, aged 17 and 18, were looking after the durian harvest.
He said the suspects, who arrived in a car, loaded four large baskets of "IOI" durians into their vehicle before one of the teenagers confronted them.
"One of the suspects became aggressive and brandished a machete to intimidate the teenager, while another made off with a motorcycle belonging to the father of one of the victims before they fled," he said on Sunday (June 28).
Supt Lee said acting on intelligence, a team from the Jasin police arrested four men, aged between 27 and 35, in separate raids between 12.30am and 7.30am on Sunday (June 28) Bertam Hulu, Kampung Paya Rumput, Masjid Tanah and here.
He said police seized three mobile phones, the getaway car, the stolen motorcycle and a folding knife believed to have been used during the robbery.
"Two of the suspects admitted their involvement in the incident, while another was positively identified by one of the victims as the person who stole the motorcycle," he said.
Supt Lee said one of the suspects claimed he had initially been invited by an accomplice, known only as 'Wan Linggi', who remains at large, to steal sports rims, but decided to take the motorcycle after spotting it at the orchard.
He added that three of the suspects tested positive for methamphetamine, while checks also revealed they had criminal records.
However, police were unable to recover the stolen durians.
