BUKIT MERTAJAM, Oct 14 — A Thai woman shot at police when she was asked to surrender and police retaliated and shot her dead. The shootout happened at 11.15pm yesterday at Taman Pearl between Penang police and the woman who was a member of a most wanted firearms robbery gang.
State police chief, Datuk Ayub Yaakob, said the 34-year-old woman died at the scene. “Following surveillance over several weeks police detected the woman in a house in the housing estate when she was in a car in the house’s compound.
“She sensed the presence of police and drove her Waja towards a nearby temple,” he told reporters at the scene early this morning.
Ayub said the woman, involved in several cases of armed robbery, kidnapping and drugs distribution, tried to speed off in another direction but was chased by police.
“When she was asked to surrender she shot at police and police returned fire and shot her dead. Ayub said police found a pistol and several rounds of ammunition in the car of the woman who had links to the robbery gang’s leader.
He said investigation revealed that the car had false registration plates and was believed to have been stolen in the state.
“There was a motorcycle in the house concerned that was stolen in Kulim, Kedah. We do not discount the possibility that the house was used as a gathering point or place of residence,” he said.
Ayub said police believed that the gang was also involved in cases of smuggling and selling of firearms from a neighbouring country.
“Investigation also revealed that the gang travelled frequently to the neighbouring country believed to bring in arms. They are a dangerous gang and would do anything as they had firearms,” he said.
Ayub said police were now hunting down four more members of the gang and added that police were investigating premises in the vicinity of Bukit Mertajam that were suspected of having been used by the gang. — Bernama
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