Police shot dead two members of the most-wanted ''Rantau Sitiawan'' gang early today in a shoot-out at Batu 13 Jalan Bidor-Teluk Intan south of here.

The duo, foreigners known as Ari and Kenjo, were believed to have been in their 30s but did not have any identification papers to indicate their nationality, said Perak Police chief Datuk Hasnan Hassan.

He also said that police recovered two home-made pistols, live ammunition and bullet casings and a parang among several items used to stage robberies after the shoot-out that took place at 2.10 am.

The car used by the duo was a stolen vehicle, he said at a press conference here.

Hasnan said policemen from the Bukit Aman Serious Crimes Division and Perak CID came across the suspects in a car during their crime-prevention patrol in the Bidor and Hilir Perak areas.

"When the policemen tried to stop the Proton Saga BLM, the suspects sped off in the vehicle through village roads but the vehicle skidded and came to a halt to the left of a road.

"When the policemen walked up to the car, the driver opened fire at the police while the front-seat passenger alighted brandishing a parang," he said.

He said the policemen had to return fire in self-defence. None of the policemen were hurt.

Hassan said investigations showed that the gang had been staging robberies for about a year, with four of the robberies in Perak and six in Penang and involving loot estimated at RM450,000 in all.

He said three members of the gang had returned to their own countries while two others were shot dead by police in the Muallim district last year.

The gang members would usually tie up and injure their victims and use firearms in their robberies, he said, adding that they usually committed the crimes in the interior areas.

Hasnan thanked the public for offering information and helping the police to smash this gang of dangerous robbers.

On another matter, he urged people who wanted to return to their hometowns and villages for the Aidilfitri to submit a completed form to enable the police to conduct patrols in the vicinity of their houses.

"Last year, we received less than 30 forms in the whole of Perak. This year, we advise the people to submit the form so that police can conduct patrols to prevent crime," he added.

-- BERNAMA