Armoury break-in



Twenty-one guns and some 500 bullets were stolen from a police armoury in Terengganu early today. And police top brass, fuming over adverse publicity that the force has attracted in recent weeks, ordered an immediate lockdown of the Kubang Badak General Operations Force camp, suspecting the break-in to be an inside job.

But the news could have been much worse. Those responsible for the weapons theft — the first such following the February 2001 Guar Chempedak police station attack — left behind a cache of M16 and Heckler & Koch MP5 assault rifles and flare grenades.

The thieves were unable to take the assault rifles because they were kept in locked steel cabinets. They escaped with 19 Smith & Wesson revolvers, and two pistols — a Browning and a Steyr.

Investigations are being led by Deputy Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Mokhtar Hassan.

Both Federal Internal Security and Public Order director Datuk Othman Talib, whose department oversees GOF camps nationwide, and Terengganu police chief Datuk Husin Ismail declined comment.

Details of the incident remain sketchy but checks revealed the theft was discovered when a GOF corporal turned up for routine inspection at the armoury about 8am.

Someone had cut an opening in the fence surrounding the armoury and there were signs that the door to the armoury had been tampered with.

The corporal raised the alarm and the camp commanding officer was informed.

The Kubang Badak camp houses the GOF Ninth Battalion. Only 300 policemen were in the camp, which is about 10km from Kuala Terengganu.

A head count was ordered and all personnel were accounted for, including several who were confined to barracks for disciplinary reasons.

When Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Bakri Omar was informed, he ordered Mokthar to supervise investigations and ordered a lockdown.

Initial investigations showed that the sentry did not report any unauthorised movement of vehicles from midnight till the time the break-in was discovered.

Investigators are working on the theory that those responsible for the armoury raid could have made their way on foot towards the perimeter of the camp and hurled the guns and ammunition over the fence to accomplices.

Till late this evening, investigations were still under way and witnesses disclosed that the policemen were ordered to carry out a line march.

This formation involves the policemen walking in one direction while looking for clues on the ground.


GOF arms heist the third since 2000

KUALA LUMPUR, Sat. — This morning’s arms heist was the third such case since 2000.

In July 2000, 15 members of Al-Ma’unah, a deviationist group, staged an arms heist at the Territorial Army’s 304th battalion camp in Grik.

Dressed as senior army officers, they carted away a cache of 116 weapons and ammunition — which included 80 M-16 rifles, two Steyr AUG assault rifles, five M-16/203 grenade launchers, four general purpose machine-guns, 26 bayonets, 54 flare-trip wires and pouches, 5,000 rounds of ammunition of various calibre, ammunition magazines and 40 MMHE grenades — in three 4WDs.

They went to nearby Bukit Jenalek in Sauk, where they were joined by other members.

The 29 members staged a four-day stand-off with security forces but it was resolved with the surrender of 27 suspects on July 6. One of the group’s members and two hostages were killed.

On Dec 28, 2001, High Court judge Datuk Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin sentenced Al-Ma’unah leader Mohd Amin Mohd Razali and and his two right-hand men: the movement’s deputy president Zahit Muslim and its northern region leader Jamaludin Darus, to death. Sixteen others received life sentences.

In February 2001, four masked men stormed the Guar Chempedak police station in Kedah, attacked and seriously wounded two policemen before leaving with two M-16 rifles.

Two of the four men were arrested and the rifles were recovered.

How come the security so slack.... nobody doing guard duty, no prowlers? So many guns and ammo stolen, and only discovered after the thieves are long gone. Guess they'll only realise when they're country is stolen from under them.

Well, you cannot put Singapore's standard on Malaysia in terms of security.... because Malaysia is a very big land...

But then, yup, I agree that security should be tighter.

I thought I heard it's their own police who stole those stuffs? House-thief how to guard?

i think the next question to ask with guns and ammo of this amount is lost, what will the theives going to do? seems like an organise crime leh... terrorist related?

Maybe they just want to show the police the loophole in their security... and they'll return all the weapons and ammo tomorrow

Another strong highlight of the kind of system Malaysia has.

wait for awhile....and see what happens and how they make use of the weapons

robbers could have probably sold them off also

They aint have ARMSKOT MAN meh?

eat snake la

actually i numb liao. malaysia always happened such thing mah.

such news dont give me shock at all...

dont think this is the 1st time... it happened b4 a few years back..

Malaysia army very very lax... Look at their joke of a NS system for example... Girls who get enlisted end up getting raped...

I would assume its the standard issue Steyr AUG that was stolen...

Can you imagine 21 loony toons running around malaysia with that kind of firepower? Hmmm.. but if you divide the ammo...each one got less than 25 each... less than a full mag...

But still scary...

CFM + Chop there will a few attempts at bank robberies...

Geez if that happen here.... NATION-WIDE Manhunt! and the Armskote man along with Encik,OC,CO backside burn liao...

I feel their idea of NS is not to ready boyss and girls in preparations for war, but more of a racial cohesion strategy... that gone terribly wrong :/

But geesh, what lax ssecurity they have....

news from our local newspaper

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?f...5527&sec=nation
apparently 2 of them are police personnel..

but then again, never play play with weapons in malaysia, police here has right to turn us into 'bee-hives' if we are armed.

OT:
what u mention about malaysia NS here is very true.. i prefer to name it 'Holiday Camp' than calling it 'National Service'.

whats new man...

Badawi betta do something!

regarding NS, yes, it was a very big news here when a female was raped by the instructor..
many ppl tell me, b4 they enter NS, status=single, after 3 mths NS, status=seeing someone

hey, wanna start a new thread on malaysia NS??

We can start a thread on NS here and Msia if that's the case

Back to the topic on the stolen weapons, if 2 of them are police personnel... prolly why they sold it's cuz of financial reasons... sell the weapons to some gangs/ terrorist and get the $$$... we never know...

kind of funny if you ask me