Ahsmon showing the confiscated ‘guandao’.
KUCHING (Oct 7): A gang of robbers armed with ‘guandao’ (Chinese polearm) was nabbed in less than 24 hours after robbing a 24-hour shop on Wednesday.
According to Kuching district police chief ACP Ahsmon Bajah, the group known as ‘Ali Guandao Gang’ consisted of six local men aged between 20 and 26 years old.
He said the suspects were arrested in a series of raids by the Kuching District Police Headquarters special team.
“This gang targets shops that operate 24 hours and are armed with knives, machetes and sharp objects. They will act aggressively when carrying out robberies.
“It is believed they were also under the influence of drugs when they committed the crime,” he said in a press conference at the headquarters here.
On their modus operandi, Ahsmon said they would go into 24-hour shops wearing face masks and pretending to be a customer.
They would then point a weapon at the workers and force them to hand over money.
“They would commit crimes around 2am to 4am and also late at night by targeting shops in the Kuching, Padawan and Kota Samarahan areas,” he said.
Ahsmon added the police believe they have successfully solved at least five 24-hour shop robbery cases with the arrest of all the suspects.
“Preliminary investigations also found all the suspects have past criminal records related to drug cases and property crimes,” he said.
He added they also confiscated ‘guandao’, ‘parang’, machetes, hammers, clothes, a cash machine and a car believed to be used by the suspects.
“Investigations found the car had been rented by them to commit crimes,” he said.
All suspects have been remanded until Oct 133 for further investigation under Section 395 and 397 of the Penal Code.
“If convicted, they can be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and whipping,” he said.