Swordsmen robbers held at budget hotel

 July 11, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have busted a sword-wielding robbery gang that has been targeting budget hotels and cyber cafes in Sentul here.

City CID chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Ku Chin Wah said three suspects aged 33 to 42 were arrested at a budget hotel in Jalan Ipoh at 8am on Monday.

Police are still looking for two more suspects said to be involved in at least six robberies in Kuala Lumpur.

“So far, the suspects have admitted to at least six cases. We believe they were planning another robbery when they were arrested,” he said at the city police headquarters in Jalan Hang Tuah here yesterday

SAC Ku said police seized a stolen car, a Taser, a Rambo knife, several swords, nine handphones, four hats – with one bearing a police logo – several walkie-talkies and other tools used in the robberies and break-ins.

SAC Ku said the suspects, who have been remanded until Saturday, had criminal records.

Emergency powers + police = high crime by cops’ own maths

Crime was already on the rise and seemingly unstoppable while the Emergency Ordinance (EO) Act was in place, said DAP National Publicity secretary Tony Pua.

As such, he questioned the police rationale for blaming the repeal of the EO in 2011 as the sole cause of rising crime in the country, particularly in urban areas.

"Malaysian crime index was rising rapidly from 2003 to 2008. At its peak, the crime rate rose by 34 per cent from 2004 to 2007. During this period, the EO was readily available at the authorities' disposal and yet, crime was seemingly unstoppable," Pua noted.

He further questioned if the repeal of the EO had become the convenient whipping boy for the police to cover up the lack of professionalism and competence in solving crime cases as well as in preventing crime incidences.

"They have yet to present a shred of evidence that the recent spate of rising crime is due to hardened criminals released from the Simpang Renggam detention centre.  It does not appear that the police has caught anyone involved in the recent spate of armed robberies which could possibly point to the repeal of the EO as being the cause," Pua added.

He said that after the launch of the "Reducing Crime" National Key Result Area (NKRA) in 2009, the official crime index has dropped significantly, from 209,417 in 2009 to 157,891 in 2011, according to the government.

"This was attributed under the Government Transformation Plan (GTP) to greater allocation of resources to patrolling and fighting street crimes.

"The achievement if true, was never ever attributed by the police to the increased use of the EO to detain alleged criminals without trial," Pua said.

He added that while the accuracy of the police crime index was in question, the police themselves had presented that crime levels in 2012 was the lowest in a decade at 145,891 or a decline of 7.6% from 2011.

"Most tellingly, the decline of crime, according the police’s own statistics, was achieved despite the fact that the EO was repealed during the year," Pua summed up. - July 9, 2013.

Source - The Malaysian Insider

Robbers slash supervisor

08 July 2013

IPOH: A man was slashed by a robber here on Saturday evening, which resulted in him having 14 stitches.

Choo Kong Wui, 44, was delivering nappies to his friend's house in Taman Sri Intan, Menglembu, at 7.20pm.

The factory supervisor was talking with his friend's mother-in-law at the front gate when two men on a motorcycle stopped near the house.

Choo, from Taman Desa Pengkalan Timah, said the pillion rider, who was armed with a parang, approached him and demanded his wallet.

"I gave him my wallet. To my surprise, he slashed me with the parang, which hit my left ear," he said at the Ipoh police station yesterday.

He said his friend's neighbour took him to Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital.

Choo said he lost his MyKad, driving licence, an ATM card, a credit card and RM100.

Ipoh police district chief Assistant Commissioner Sum Chang Keong confirmed the incident.

Cops seize fake notes worth RM1mil Man arrested following discovery of stash at roadblock in Ledang

June 26, 2013 MYT 12:01:56 PM

JOHOR BARU: Policemen manning a roadblock in Ledang, about 170km from here, stumbled upon a stash of counterfeit notes with a face value of RM1mil after stopping a car.

The thousands of fake notes were in denominations of RM100, RM50 and RM1.

It is learnt the police are investigating the matter and have yet to determine the source of the counterfeit notes.

Police, however, confirmed they had arrested a local man in connection with the incident on Sunday.

Meanwhile, in Kulaijaya, OCPD Supt Zulkefly Yahya said three cases involving counterfeit money had been reported in the district this year.

“We have brought up the matter with Bank Negara and are conducting investigations under Section 489C of the Penal Code,” he said.

Under the section, those found guilty of possessing counterfeit notes face up to 10 years’ jail.

In a related development, businessman Tang Hing Soon, 43, got a shock when a counterfeit RM100 note ended up in his hands.

“I am not sure where I got the note from as I own a workshop and customers usually pay me in the hundreds,” he told a press conference called by Bukit Batu assemblyman Jimmy Puah Wee Tse on Monday.

Tang had tried to use the note to pay for groceries but it was rejected.

“I wouldn’t have realised it was a fake note if the cashier at a supermarket near my house had not told me about it,” he said.

Tang said the colour, design and “feel” of the note were similar to that of a genuine new RM100 note.

“It is made from good quality paper and the fake note has all the characteristics of the original note, except that the colour is slightly faded,” he said.

Puah advised those who come across fake notes to lodge a police report and not try to get rid of the note by buying things with it.

“Such an act is illegal as you can be charged with knowingly using counterfeit money,” he said, adding that he had filed a complaint to Bank Negara on the matter.

Snatch theft victim still loves Malaysia

April 26, 2013 MYT 12:46:16 AM

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite being a crime victim more than once in the country's capital, German expatriate Anna Kaster still loves Malaysia for its generous and loving people.

The 55-year-old wellness consultant, who has been living in Malaysia since 2007, said she fell in love with the country and insisted that the “love affair” was still alive despite being an assault victim in 2008, and the latest incident a snatch theft along Jalan Utama, near Ampang here, on March 31.

“I love this country because of the scenery as well as its hospitable people. There is no other place I would rather live in than here,” she told reporters at the Gleneagles Hospital yesterday.

Recalling the incident, Kaster said a man on a motorcycle snatched her handbag but she instinctively held on to it, causing her to fall.

She injured her back, legs as well as both arms.

“It felt as if my arm was being pulled from its socket. I barely had a chance to recover when another man tried to snatch my bag. I would not let go and injured myself further.

“There were a few bystanders but no one came to help me. Two men later came to my rescue and sent me to the Gleneagles Hospital nearby,” said Kaster, who is single.

She is still receiving treatment at the hospital and is greatly traumatised.

“I am being healed by the love of well-wishers and hospital personnel while being assisted by the police,” she said.

She added that the police should not be blamed as the incident took barely 15 seconds.

“The police are doing their best but members of the public should play their part in crime prevention.

“Almost everyone has a smartphone. Just take pictures if you witness a crime and supply the photos to the police,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ampang Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Amiruddin Jamaluddin said police were still looking for the suspects responsible for hurting Kaster.

“We have recorded statements from the two men who helped her and are studying CCTV footages near the crime scene.

“However, we still need more witnesses, so please come forward and supply us with information,” he said.

Conman taunts victim to catch him if he can

July 8, 2013 MYT 10:02:54 AM

JOHOR BARU: Not content with fleecing his 20-year-old victim of RM14,000 through a bogus car deal, a conman is now taunting his victim to catch him if he wants the money back.

Since the incident, the victim Tyo Jia Ren has been having sleepless nights thinking about the money that he lost and being disturbed by the conman who kept sending him messages through the social messaging system.

The ordeal for Tyo who works as wireman in Singapore, started after befriending a man who was about his age during an outing at a club in Century Garden early last month.

“This man told me that he had a white Toyota Wish that he wanted to sell for only RM14,000.

“Thinking that it was a very good offer, I did not hesitate to buy the car, especially since the man seemed very confident, dressed well and was wearing a Rolex watch,” he said.

The conman, he said, also drove a sporty 4WD vehicle and they met several times to discuss the sale of the car.

Tyo initially banked in RM4,500 into the man’s account and later met with him in Permas Jaya to settle the remaining RM9,500 in cash on June 17.

“The man assured me that I will get the car the next day.

“Throughout all the transaction, the man never once showed me the actual car.

“He had only showed me pictures of the white car,” he added.

Tyo said to make matters worse, the conman had been contacting him via the social messaging system taunting him to locate him.

“In one of his messages, he claimed that my parents are rich and that if I want my money back, I have to get the money back myself,” he said.

Tyo said his father had scolded him for being gullible after he was informed about the incident.

Both Tyo and his father who only wanted to be known as Ah Chun, 42, then lodged a report at the Johor Baru MCA Public Complaints Bureau department.

“I hope he comes out and settles this problem soon,” he added.

Meanwhile, the department’s deputy chairman Michael Tay urged the public to be wary of anybody offering them a cheap car.

“The first thing to do when people want to sell cheap cars is to ascertain whether the car genuinely belongs to them,” he said, adding that proper documents should also be produced and prepared to ensure both parties were protected.

Meanwhile, a police official when contacted confirmed that a police report had been lodged.

He urged those with information to contact the police hotline at 07-221 2999.

Three gangs in turf war shooting it out

KOTA BARU: Police have identified at least three major drug trafficking and car theft gangs who are in a bitter struggle for territory with each other, leading to several shooting cases in Kelantan.

Five such cases, which occurred since January, were believed to be linked to the turf war, said Kelantan police chief Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman.

He said there were 10 shooting cases related to turf war last year.

“We have identified the groups and individuals involved and are going after them,” he said at the Kelantan police contingent headquarters here yesterday.

“One of them was picked up opposite a bank in Pasir Mas at 4.30am on Friday.”

The 25-year-old from Kemubu in Kuala Krai was driving a stolen Proton Waja.

“He led the police to the arrest of a 29-year-old man at a house in Kampung Kelar, Pasir Mas, where a gun and a bullet casing were found,” said Jalaluddin. “The men were arrested by CID officers and men from the state headquarters and Pasir Mas.”

The duo, who were remanded for four days from yesterday, are being investigated under Section 8 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971 and Section 8 (a) of the Firearms Act 196.

Jalaluddin said the 25-year-old was arrested three times before for drugs and vehicle thefts while the 29-year-old was picked up twice for drug-related cases. Both tested positive for drugs. — Bernama