The Perak police have detained 49 people including three married couples to facilitate investigation on an assault case at a house in South Ward, Tanjung Rambutan near here on Friday.

Ipoh district police chief ACP Sum Chang Keong said the suspects, aged between 21 and 46, were picked up around the city in batches several hours after the incident.

"Six people had been detained on early Saturday, 41 last night and two others this morning," he told a press conference at the Ipoh district police headquarters here today.

Sum said in the 11.30pm incident on Friday, two men, aged 23 and 31, were attacked by a group of men using machetes at the house causing one of the victims sustained minor injuries on his left arm.

"Both the victims went straight to the nearby Tanjung Rambutan Police Station but they were trailed by the group on three cars. One of the assailants entered the police station (compound) to take out the (younger) victim but was stopped by a policeman on duty.

"The suspect then walked out of the compound and kicked down the victim's motorcycle before smashing windows of the police station guard house," he said, adding that debt was the reason behind the attack.

As such, Sum said police had mounted an operation to close in on the remaining suspects.

The case is being investigated under Section 148 of the Penal Code.

Meanwhile, Sum said police arrested two men and a woman, aged between 19 and 24, within 24 hours after they were alleged to have committed house break-ins in Buntong area, near here.

He said the first suspect, aged 24, was picked up in Kampung Baru, Buntong at 12.45 midnight last Wednesday while the second suspect, also 24, and his 24-year-old girlfriend was arrested at a hotel in Menglembu at 12.02 midnight last Thursday.

"Police have seized a television, watch, bracelet, MyKad, driving licence, savings account passbook and several house break-in equipment from the first suspect.

"The arrest on the second suspect, who is believed to be the mastermind, led to the discovery of several house break-in equipment, a gold-plated egg, four mobile phones, a gold bracelet and (a sum of) cash in foreign currencies," he said, adding that both male suspects have two criminal records each.

All the suspects were being remanded for six days beginning from the day of their arrests to facilitate investigations under Section 395 and 397 of the Penal Code for armed robbery.

Meanwhile, on the case of a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) belonging to a police corporal which was found ablaze in Tambun here early yesterday, Sum said information gathered from witnesses revealed that four men were believed to have been involved in the incident.

"In the 4am incident, the suspects were believed to have hurled molotov coctails into the front portion of victim''s house causing the Toyota Ipsum MPV belonging to the Ipoh district police headquarters narcotics policeman set on fire," he said, adding that the losses incurred was estimated about RM60,000.

The case is being investigated under Section 435 of the Penal Code for committing mischief by fire or explosive substance.

-- BERNAMA