Malaysian police on Thursday shot dead four suspects, including two foreigners, believed to be involved in a spate of recent armed robberies in the northern state of Penang, news reports said.
The suspects, in their 30s and 40s, were driving toward a housing estate before dawn = when they realized they were being tailed by the police, deputy state police chief Salleh Mat Rasid said.
Salleh said the eight-member police team opened fire on the suspected robbers after one of the men took out a gun and shot at the officers, dpa reported.
"These suspects were believed to be involved in several burglaries in Penang," Salleh was quoted as saying by the Star daily.
"Their modus operandi is usually to break in, tie up their victims and escape with their belongings," he said.
Salleh said both the local suspects had police records with one of them high on the police wanted list while the foreigners, whose nationalities were not revealed, had valid travel documents.