Robbers hijack security van and flee with RM3.4mil

A security van carrying RM3.4mil was hijacked by a gang of robbers at a petrol station near Ijok, Batang Berjuntai, here.

It is believed that the van, manned by four guards, stopped at the station at about 9.50am yesterday to replenish money at the petrol station’s ATM when their vehicle was blocked by a Nissan van and two men on a motorcycle.

Sources said between four and six men alighted from the van and tied up the guards, enabling the motorcyclists to drive the security van away.

Kuala Selangor OCPD Supt Mohd Taib Ahmad said initial investigations revealed that the suspects drove the security van to an oil palm plantation at Bukit Badong.

“We believe the suspects forced all four security guards to get off the vehicle before unloading nine bags of money from the van and taking the guards’ pump guns. They were all wearing full-faced helmets.

“The gang then set the van ablaze before escaping with the loot in their van,” he said.

He added that two of the security guards were scalded by the fire and were sent to the Tanjung Karang Hospital for treatment.

They are in stable condition.

A Bukit Berjuntai Fire and Rescue Department source said they received the distress call at 9.58am and five firefighters were sent to the scene to contain the fire.

The firefighters managed to put out the fire by 10.47am.

TheStar

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Guard kills officer during robbery

A bank’s security guard shot dead its operations officer and fled with the cash from the safe.

Bank officer Noazita Abu Talib, 37, was opening a safe with a colleague in the bank along Jalan USJ Sentral 2 at around 6.18pm yesterday.

The suspect then shot the mother of two in the face using a pumpgun before forcing the terrified colleague to load a bag with cash from the safe.

He finally made off on a motorcycle. Selangor deputy police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Abdul Rahim Jaafar said there were only five staff members in the bank, including the suspect.

“According to the security firm, he was meant to be a replacement guard for the bank and had worked in another bank next to the crime scene. However, he raised concern over facts of the suspect’s identity.

“Checks on his IC revealed that it was a fake. We are going to look into this more and find out how he was employed with a fake IC,” he said, adding that police were investigating the CCTV footage of the bank and nearby shops.

“I advise the public to be cautious. I urge anyone with information on him to come forward,” he said.

Subang Jaya deputy OCPD Supt Tan Ah Chua revealed that the suspect was identified as Ardi Hamza (770818-12-6721) from Tawau in Sabah.

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KK Super Mart armed to defend after 11 robberies by same group

Stunned by a series of 11 brazen attacks on KK Super Marts, founder and CEO Datuk Dr Douglas K.K. Chai has beefed up security at his outlets.

“We have hired a security team to go around our stores and we have increased the number of people in our response team,” he said.

“We have 20 people in our response team, with four of them being armed with pistols.”

This follows a number of attacks by a group of five men armed with machetes who robbed KK Super Mart, a 24-hour mini-supermarket chain, 11 times in 10 days.

He said KK Super Mart was working closely with the police force to catch the robbers.

It would increase the number of CCTV in it’s stores, he said.

“Up to 16 cameras have been installed with several of them focusing on the entrance of the store,” he said.

He said that the surveillance cameras were monitored 24-hours a day with the security camera feed linked to the security team’s phone.

Chai said the five men – believed to be in their 20’s – did not wear masks or helmets when they robbed the mini-supermarkets in Klang Valley

“The robbers drove in the same vehicle – a grey Proton Satria with the fake registration number WLV 964,” he told The Star Online. “So far, no one had been injured during the robberies.”

The robbers, he added, stole money from the store and customers and items such as cigarettes.

“We have set up a committee compensate customers who fall victim during the robbery,” he said.

“Those who had their phone, money or other items stolen during the robberies will be compensated.”

When asked why KK Super Mart was a popular target for robbers, Chai said he did not know.

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Daylight robbery in @Khairykj home.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has become the latest victim of robbers when his home was hit on Saturday afternoon.

Three men scaled the wall of the bungalow in Jalan Setiabistari, Bukit Damansara, at about 5.30pm before breaking in through the front door.

Khairy and his wife, who live in the house which belongs to his mother, were not in when the robbers struck.

The only person in the house was a maid, who said the three men ransacked the place, including the master bedroom where most of the valuables were kept.

The robbers took off with several laptop compu­ters, watches and other expensive items.

City CID chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Ku Chin Wah said police were trying to find out the total number of items taken away.

“There have been no arrests yet. We are probing all angles for the robbery,” he said.

Khairy, who also confirmed the robbery on his Facebook page yesterday, thanked family members and friends who offered words of kindness.

“Thankfully no one was hurt and I leave the matter in the hands of the police.

“This incident is a reminder to us all that crime is a serious problem in our country.

“It is a real issue and not just merely a perception,” he said, urging other victims of crimes to stay strong.

He also urged everyone to keep their families and themselves safe.

 

TheStar

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Robbers make ‘withdrawal’ at bank

Daring robbers made off with an automated teller machine from a bank in Taman Desa Cemerlang here by dragging the machine out with a four-wheel drive.

The incident occurred between midnight and 1am yesterday and it is believed that the robbers had been planning the heist for days.

“Some staff members noticed that a car was parked outside the bank for a few days prior to the incident.

“It is likely that the robbers had been staking out the bank for several days to determine the best time to steal the machine,” said a source.

A bank staff, who declined to be named, said the robbers had allegedly driven the 4WD vehicle right to the bank entrance and dragged the machine by fastening it with a chain tied to the vehicle.

“We have two ATMs and three other machines for cheque deposits and cash deposits,” he said, adding that the thieves had aimed the ATM believed to contain more money.

The bank, however, has yet to determine how much money was in the ATM when it was carted away.

Checks by The Star showed that there were drag marks outside the bank and some of the tiles outside the building were cracked.

Policemen were also seen questioning the staff but the bank remained opened.

Seri Alam OCPD Supt Roslan Zainuddin confirmed the case and said that police had yet to make any arrests.

“The case has been classified under Section 457 of the Penal Code for burglary,” he said.

It is believed that police are also investigating if the incident is linked to a robbery attempt at a bank in Taman Daya here at around 4am on Wednesday.

During the incident, a group of thieves had tried to drag out an ATM using a vehicle but abandoned their plans when the alarm went off.

Some of the pictures of the attempted theft had also been uploaded on Facebook.

Those with information on any of the cases are urged to contact the Johor police hotline at 07-2212 999 or visit the nearest police station.

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Police on the hunt for groups targeting convenience stores

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have released still images from CCTV recordings of groups behind the recent spate of robberies targeting 24-hour convenient stores in the city.

They hope the move will help in the arrest of the robbers who have been targeting stores in the Sentul and Cheras districts for the past two months.

City CID chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Ku Chin Wah said police had identified three groups comprising 12 individuals believed to be responsible for the robberies.

“They take cigarettes, some groceries and cash. They are also becoming bolder with each successful robbery,” he said at the city police headquarters yesterday.

SAC Ku also said police had increased patrols in the areas where these groups operated and would have a dialogue with 24-hour store owners on the issue.

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Mizz Nina falls victim to smash-and-grab

Singer-songwriter Shazrina Azman, popularly known as Mizz Nina, fell victim to a smash-and-grab robbery while she was in her car at a junction in Ampang Jaya.

The 31-year-old artiste posted pictures of her car's smashed passenger window on social media site Instagram after the incident, which occurred at about 1.20pm yesterday.

“Car got smashed n bag taken at traffic light, reminder to all lady drivers, keep your handbags in the boot for safety!!” she wrote.

Later, she tweeted that “it's a lesson learned, some of us ladies sometimes 4get to place our bags in a safe place.. don't do what I did!!”

Mizz Nina, who is also a fashion designer for her own women's fashion label called Mizz Demeanor, could not be reached for comments.

Ampang Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Amiruddin Jamaluddin confirmed that the singer had lodged a police report.

TheStar

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Gagged widow dies after robbery

ALOR SETAR: A 68-year-old woman died due to suspected suffocation after she was found tied and gagged with a face towel at her double-storey wooden house in Lorong Keriang, near here.

Neighbours rushed to the house of Supama Govindasa, a widow, upon hearing noises and seeing the main door left ajar.

She was found barely breathing and lying on the floor in a storeroom.

Businessman Chua Chong Kong, 53, said Supama was having breathing difficulties when they found her at around 5am yesterday.

“We took her to the living room and placed her on a chair. She died before the medics could arrive,” he said, adding that they then immediately alerted the police.

Others who rushed to the scene were members of the MCA crisis relief squad and Rela members.

The police could not immediately confirm the cause of Supama's death.

Her body has been taken to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital for a post-mortem.

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Thieves drill their way to RM1m in jewels

KUALA LUMPUR: Thieves drilled through the back portion of a jewellery shop in Jalan Genting Klang here and carted away jewellery worth RM1mil.

The theft, which was believed to have taken place on Saturday night, was only discovered by one of the shop's employees at 8pm the next day.

The hole, which could fit a human, was found at the back of the premises, leading to a broken grille inside.

Sentul deputy OCPD Supt Othman Abu Bakar said those behind the heist could have monitored the jewellery shop for some time before striking.

“We believe the thieves used an oxy-acetylene blow torch to cut through the vaults,” he said yesterday.

The thieves, said Othman, had cut off the alarm system and close circuit camera (CCTV) cables installed at the premises before drilling and stealing the jewellery.

Source : TheStar

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Awang Adek: ATM robbery situation under control

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 10, 2012): A total of 17 automated teller machine (ATM) robberies were reported by banking institutions this year until September compared with only five last year, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin who said there are more than 11,000 ATMs nationwide, said the situation was still under control.

"Despite the hike in cases, the situation is still under control following security features applied to ATMs by banks," he said in reply to a supplementary question from Fong Kui Lun (DAP-Bukit Bintang).

Fong had enquired about the new security features used by banks in Malaysia to curb ATM robberies.

Awang Adek said that among the security features implemented was the installation of fire alarms at ATM premises to deter robbers using oxy-acetylene cutters.

He said local banking institutions had to meet the minimum international standards to ensure that ATM machines could not be prised open.

"Banks must also fix the machines to the ground, thus making it difficult to remove," he said.

"Furthermore, security guards and mobile patrol units also monitor high-risk areas where ATMs are located outside the premises, he said.

Source : TheSun

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Robbery gang crippled

MALACCA: Police have crippled a gang, including two 16-year-old students, believed to be responsible for a string of ruthless robberies targeting people walking alone and newspaper vendors here for the past two months.

State CID chief Asst Comm Raja Sharom Raja Abdullah said the gang, whose other members were former college students, would rent a car to stage their robberies.

“This allowed them to drive in search of their victims, mostly those walking alone. The victims are mainly from the Merlimau district,” he said.

To mask their identities, the gang members would don baseball hats and cover their faces during the robberies, said ACP Raja Sharom, adding that the members were known to brutally assault anyone who refused to hand over their belongings.

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Fleeing robber dies

SUNGAI PETANI: An armed robber died after he and his accomplices robbed an orchard manager of RM20,000 in Taman Orkid, Sungai Layar, near here.

The 46-year-old suspect, identified as Lee Nam Seng, collapsed and fell from his motorcycle while fleeing the crime scene.

According to sources, the gang of four had tailed orchard manager Yeoh Ah Seng, 66, from a bank in Taman Pekan Baru to the housing area on two motorcycles.

Two of them then overtook Yeoh's motorcycle before they robbed him.

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