PETALING JAYA, Sat. – Three armed robbers broke into the house of a businessman early this morning, ransacked the house and escaped with $50,000 in cash and other valuables. They made off with the owner’s $150,000 car as well.
The businessman, who declined to give his name, said he was woken up by noises in his house at about 3 a.m. When he went downstairs to investigate, he was confronted by three masked men. One was armed with a pistol while the others had knives.
The robbers then woke up the rest of the family and herded them into the storeroom and locked the door. Locked in the storeroom where the businessman, his wife, his old mother, and two young children. The robbers then ransacked the house.
The robbers spent about two hours in the house taking all the valuables they could find. They also finished a few bottles of beer that were kept in the refrigerator.
The businessman said that the robbers then left by taking his car. He then broke down the storeroom door with a piece of the iron bar that he found in the storeroom. On freeing himself he immediately called the police.
His family is still in shock but fortunately, the robbers did not harm anyone in the family. He estimated that the thieves took about $10,000 in cash and the rest in jewelry. He said he only had his car for a month.
A police spokesman said that the robbers first poisoned three dogs that the businessman kept guarding the house before breaking the lock of the front gate. They then entered the house by forcing open a side window. A crow-bar was recovered near the window. It is being checked for fingerprints.
At about 8 a.m. a police patrol car found the getaway car abandoned by the side of the road leading to Subang International Airport. The car’s stereo set was missing. Otherwise, the car was undamaged.
A few houses in the same are, in Petaling Jaya were robbed by armed men using the same method recently. The police is unsure whether this robbery is committed by the same gang or not. The modus operandi appears to be the same. More investigations are needed.
Meanwhile, a group of house owners in the robbery-hit area has formed an action committee to find ways to stop this spate of robberies. Committee spokesman Joseph Chin says that the police need to increase their patrols in this area. He added that the residents are very concerned about their own safety. So far the robbers have not used their weapons. If the robberies go on someone is bound to get hurt soon.