Azman showing the parang seized from the gang.
MIRI (Nov 26): The police here have busted an armed robbery gang and arrest four foreign men and one local man at two different locations on Nov 16.
State police commissioner Datuk Mohd Azman Ahmad Sapri in a press conference here today said the gang was arrested after two police reports were lodged on armed robberies in Miri and Bekenu on Sept 9 and Sept 14 respectively.
Azman shows some of the items seized from the suspects in Ops Rantau.
“In the armed robbery incidents, the victims were tied up by the robbers who were armed with parangs. The robbers managed to flee with cash money and valuables worth over RM100,000,” said Azman.
Following the police reports lodged, Azman said the Miri Crime Investigation Department (CID) launched an operation dubbed ‘Ops Rantau’ which led to the suspects’ arrest.
“The police had received a tip-off from the public regarding a few foreigners living in a house at Jalan Bypass Miri. The police conducted intelligence at the house for a few days, which resulted in an ambush on Nov 16 at 3am,” he said.
Azman said in the first ambush, the police arrest three men comprising two foreigners and one local aged between 30 to 40.
The other two suspects, who had earlier escaped to Serian using a bus, were nabbed by the Serian CID at the Serian bus station on Nov 16.
“The police also managed to recover the valuable items stolen by the suspects as well as the tools and weapons used in the robberies,” he said.
Following the gang’s arrest, Azman said Miri police solved the two cases reported in Miri and Bekenu as well as a recent robbery in Brunei.
“All suspects are still under remand to facilitate police investigations under Section 395/397 of the Penal Code for gang robbery and armed robbery as well as under Section 457 of the Penal Code for house break-ins,” he said.
As for the gang’s modus operandi, Azman said they targeted isolated houses and robbed them in the wee hours.
On another matter, Azman said the crime index for Miri has dropped by 50 per cent with 245 cases reported from Jan to Oct this year when compared to the 486 cases for the same period in 2021.
Also present at the press conference were Miri OCPD ACP Alexson Naga Chabu and his deputy Supt Mohd Sabri Zainol.
Azman also presented certificates of appreciation to 31 police personnel of various ranks who were involved in Ops Rantau.