TAIPING: Perak police gunned down a senior member of the ‘Gang 04’ secret society during a shootout in Taman Koperasi near Teluk Intan here on Thursday.
Earlier, S Sasikumar, 30, who was in a car, fired a shot at a pursuing ‘Ops Cantas’ police team, following a failed attempt to hold up a victim in Kampung Banjar.
Despite a police warning to surrender, the gunman refused to stop his vehicle and headed towards the direction of Lorong Berlian 2 at a housing estate before crashing it in the vicinity.
At that juncture, Sasikumar continued firing at the police before they returned fire, killing him on the spot in the incident about 5pm.
A Norinco model pistol, eight bullets and a packet containing dried leaves believed to be marijuana were found on the man.
Perak Police Commissioner Datuk Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said the gunman alighted from his car and began firing away at the police after they had approached him.
He said the police retaliated in self-defence, killing the fugitive on the spot.
Speaking to reporters at the Taiping police headquarters here, Acryl Sani said Sasikumar had five previous criminal records, including three robbery cases, two drug-related cases and a theft case.
He said the crimes were committed in cohorts with two accomplices, one of whom was shot dead while the other was charged in court.
“On Jan 19, at 2.30am, a man was found dead with six gunshot wounds in a car at Jalan Gula, Semanggol. (Nevertheless) We cannot ascertain (the reasons) why the victim was shot,” said Acryl Sani.
He said on July 14, last year, three people were linked to an armed robbery of a Toyota Hilux model and had fired shots in the direction of the victim and 13-year-old child at a house in Taman Sejahtera near Kampar. — Bernama