Malaysian cops capture three Vietnamese robbers, hunt another

One gang member managed to escape and the other three were caught. A manhunt has been launched to find the fourth robber, and the police have called on the public to help with any information they have.

The Vietnamese gang, wearing masks and carrying machetes, are said to have broken into two grocery stores in the southern state of Johor earlier this week, drilling safe boxes and stealing more than RM70,000 ($16,701).

On Monday, the gang broke into a Green Apple grocery branch in Muar district and robbed more than RM60,000 ($14,312) in cash from a safety box, the Sin Chew Daily reported.

The robbers were caught red-handed at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday as they were robbing another Green Apple store in Bukit Pasir town. They fled with RM10,000 ($2,385) as the police gave chase.

As the police fired two warning shots and asked the gang members to put their weapons down and surrender, one of the robbers tried to attack police with a machete so that his accomplices could get away.

Later, after the four men moved towards a wooded area, police officers managed to capture three of them.

The captured men are Vietnamese men aged between 23 and 32.

Apart from the robber charges, the Vietnamese men, whose names have not been revealed, will also be accused of attempted murder of the officers, Malaysian police said.

Last August, four Vietnamese men believed to be part of a notorious gang that robbed stores and other outlets open late at night were shot dead by Malaysian police.