Three members of five-man robbery gang caught

Police have arrested three of five members of a gang of robbers who targeted budget hotels and Internet cafes in the city.

Kuala Lumpur CID chief Datuk Ku Chin Wah said they were caught in a budget hotel in Jalan Ipoh last Sunday at about 8 am as they were planning a robbery.

"The arrested men had criminal records stating that they had committed up to six robberies in Kuala Lumpur," he told reporters.

The police seized swords, mobile telephones, gloves, hats including some with the police crest, Rambo knives, imitation guns, car keys, walkie talkies and a Proton Wira car that is believed to have been stolen, he said.

Ku also said that police were on the hunt for three groups of locals and Latin American nationals believed to be involved in breaking into bank automated teller machines (ATMs) in the city.

Four such cases were reported so far this year, at Dang Wangi (involving a loss of RM300,000), Jalan Keramat (RM400,000), Taman Shamelin (RM126,000) and Alam Damai (RM283,000), he said.