SHAH ALAM, March 30 — The police have not ruled out the possibility that the five individuals shot dead in an incident in Putra Heights last night were members of the 'Ninja Van Gang' involved in over 50 armed robbery cases in the Klang Valley.
Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the group, active since 2022 and targeting courier company premises, factories, offices, and residences, would also resort to violence, including slashing their victims who attempted to resist them.
All the suspects, aged between 25 and 30, were locals with extensive criminal records and had been wanted by the police for the past two years.
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Selangor Police Chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan (right) speaks during a press conference at the Selangor Police Contingent headquarters in Shah Alam, on March 14, 2023. — Picture by BERNAMA[/caption]
"We believe this ruthless robbery gang also has other members involved in providing them with inside information for their robbery activities," he said during a press conference today.
An inspection of the suspects' vehicle led to the recovery of two revolvers and a semi-automatic pistol, machetes, iron rods, masks, and gloves.
In the 11.30pm incident, a police team spotted a vehicle being driven in a suspicious manner in the Putra Heights area and ordered the driver to stop for inspection.
However, the suspects ignored the instructions, accelerating and firing shots at the police before crashing into the rear of the patrol vehicle, resulting in an exchange of gunfire.
Meanwhile, Hussein said the company director claiming ownership of a suitcase containing over RM500,000 in cash found in the car park of a shopping centre in Damansara recently did not show up to give a statement as promised.
He added that if no one comes forward to claim the money, the police will follow existing procedures, which involve disposing of unclaimed assets by returning the money to the government.
"We do not care if you want to come or not; we have given him sufficient time to come forward with proof that the money belongs to the company. However, he has not shown up as promised,” Hussein said.
The police are now investigating to determine if there are any illegal elements.
Yesterday, the police chief was reported to have said the company director would turn up at the Damansara Police Station today with evidence proving ownership.
— Bernama
