KOTA KINABALU: Police have confirmed the two men gunned down by Special Task Force during a shootout in Penampang Baru township on Thursday were involved in three armed robberies around the state capital, Penampang and Tuaran.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman said police believed the suspects, aged 50 and 45, were part of a group of robbers involved in at least three armed robberies amounting to more than RM1 million in Kota Kinabalu, Penampang and Tuaran between October 6 and October 16.
Jalaluddin (right) showing the pistol that was used by the suspects in the shootout in Penampang Baru township on Thursday.
Jalaluddin however did not reveal the suspects’ identities but said that one of them was Filipino.
“One of the suspects has a passport from the Philippines while another suspect was holding a Malaysian identification card.
“We are currently verifying the authenticity of the Malaysian identification card,” he said at a press conference at the state police headquarters in Kepayan here today.
Jalaluddin said prior to the 4pm incident on October 30, a team of police from the Special Task Force had been tailing the suspects’ Isuzu DMax four-wheel drive from Kota Kinabalu to Penampang after they received information that the duo were planning to strike either a goldsmith shop or a bank in Penampang Baru.
As the suspects reached the township, police immediately intercepted their vehicle before confronting them.
“One of the tailing policemen went up to the suspects and introduced himself. Realising that they had been surrounded, one of the suspects pulled out a pistol and tried to shoot the officer.
“A waiting policeman immediately shouted ‘pistol’ when he saw what was about to happen.
“A shootout immediately occurred between the suspects and the policemen,” he said, adding that two shots were fired from the suspects while police fired several shots at the suspects in self-defense.
Both suspects were killed instantly and police recovered a Browning pistol with a bullet inside the chamber and two empty shells inside the vehicle.
When asked if the suspects were members of the Sulu Rebel Army, Jalaluddin said a thorough investigation was still being carried out.
“I do not want to make any speculation if they (suspects) were involved in any militant activity. Let us complete our investigation,” he said.
Also present were State deputy police commissioner P/DCP Datuk Abdul Malek Harun and Penampang police chief DSP Ratan Kumar Singh.