Kuala lumpur: Police fired several shots before arresting a man, suspected of being involved in cable theft, after the vehicle he was in attempted to flee a police inspection in Sri Petaling, here, this morning. Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus said the incident occurred at about 9.30 am when members of the Bukit Aman KESAS Highway Traffic Police were conducting patrols and spotted a green Ford Ranger being driven suspiciously.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the police personnel then signalled the vehicle's driver to stop, but the man fled, prompting police to pursue the vehicle from the Awan Besar Toll Plaza towards Klang (Barat), before the pursuit ended at Jalan Hang Tuah 4, Sri Petaling. The pursuit lasted about 30 minutes before the vehicle stopped near a petrol station in Sungai Besi. Fadil added that the man, however, refused to cooperate and attempted to ram the police personnel, prompting police to fire several shots.
The suspect then fled by driving the vehicle before entering Jalan Hang Tuah 4, but lost control and crashed into a grey Mazda. Fadil stated that police arrested a 29-year-old man, while the driver managed to flee. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. Further checks on the vehicle found various items and equipment believed to have been used for cable theft, as well as cables believed to have been stolen.
Checks also revealed that the arrested man had 37 previous criminal records and was listed as a wanted person. Meanwhile, police are actively tracking down the other man who fled. The case is being investigated under Section 307, Section 427, and Section 379 of the Penal Code, as well as Section 42(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987. An application for a remand order against the suspect, under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code, will be made tomorrow.
Members of the public with information on the incident are urged to contact the Brickfields district police headquarters or the Brickfields Police Hotline at 03-2297 9222, the Kuala Lumpur Police Hotline at 03-2115 9999, the Tun H.S. Lee Traffic Police Station at 03-2071 9999, or the nearest police station.