Soldier, teenagers detained over alledged armed robberies

A soldier who had gone absent without leave for seven months, his friend and their teenage girlfriends were detained last Sunday by the police for suspected involvement in armed robberies in Hulu Selangor and Kajang.

A Walther pistol, six bullets and two knives were seized from the suspects in a car at the Kuala Lumpur-Ipoh junction in Rasa town.

A police team also found two packets containing powder, believed to be syabu, from one of the suspects. The four comprised a 27-year-old army lance corporal, his 29-year-old friend and the girlfriends aged 18 and 19.

Selangor CID chief SAC Mohd Adnan Abdullah said today, the soldier from Johor Baru had gone awol since March 22.

He said initial investigations had indicated the gang was linked to at least three robberies in Hulu Selangor and Kajang, while armed with a pistol.

"We also believe the gang was involved in injuring a woman who was slashed on the head in an incident in Hulu Selangor on Aug 11," he added.

Mohd Adnan said, urine tests conducted on the male suspects found they had tested positive for syabu, with one of them having a previous record for drug abuse.

He said the police were looking into the possibility of the group's involvement in other robberies in the Klang Valley.