SEPANG, March 14 — Three suspected criminals, all foreigners, who were classified as notorious and dangerous, were shot dead by police in Desa Vista, here, early this morning.
The men, aged between 35 and 40, were sought by the authorities for 17 cases of burglary and robbery across Selangor, Negri Sembilan, and Kuala Lumpur since early last year.
The suspects were hiding in a forested area after trying to rob a house in Desa Vista, said Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department deputy director Datuk Fadil Marsus.
"The homeowner noticed the suspects wearing masks and armed with machetes after the house's security alarm was triggered.
"Realising they had been spotted, the suspects fled and hid in a forested area near a water tank.
"At the same time, the homeowner alerted the police, who then deployed a team from the Criminal Investigation Department to track down the suspects,” Fadil told reporters at the scene.
When confronted, the men attempted to attack the officers. In response, the police opened fire.
“All suspects were confirmed dead at the scene," he said, adding that their bodies were sent to Serdang Hospital for a post-mortem.
The police considers the suspects as violent and dangerous, as they did not hesitate to harm their victims based on a previous robbery case in Sungai Buloh where a victim was slashed after trying to fight back.
Fadil also said the suspects were part of a five-member gang, whose remaining members will be tracked down.
The gang’s activities have amounted to losses at around RM1 million.