Gunmen take two hostage after arms heist in Malaysia

Gunmen take two hostage after arms heist in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Thieves who stole a major weapons cache from two Malaysian army camps by posing as military officers have taken two men hostage, police said on Tuesday.

Inspector General of Police Norian Mai said the armed men, who made off with the arms in a pre-dawn heist on Sunday, seized the two men before police discovered the outlaws' hideout.

The two men were picking durian fruit in the western state of Perak before they were captured, the official Bernama news agency quoted Norian as saying. It was not immediately clear when they were seized.

A combined police-military manhunt led the security forces to the thieves' hideout near Sauk, about 250 km north of the capital Kuala Lumpur and 60 km from the site of the theft.

Norian denied earlier police statements that security forces and the gunmen fought a 90-minute gunbattle before dawn on Tuesday. Residents said they heard gunfire in the area overnight.

"There was no exchange of fire," Bernama quoted him as saying. "We believed they fired on their own, just to shoot. Maybe they want to familiarize themselves with the arsenal."

Asked if there were any casualties, Norian said: "So far not on our side. I don't know on their side."

Clampdown

Security forces cordoned off the area, dotted with rubber and durian trees, following the discovery of three vehicles which the thieves were believed to have used in the heist.

"We believe the arms and ammunition are still with them," Norian said, adding that he believed the motive of the arms haul was "purely criminal".

On Sunday, 15 men impersonating senior army officers seized the arms, including M16s, Steyrs and thousands of bullets in a sting one newspaper said left the country red faced.

Officials said the thieves -- dressed in uniforms with ranks of captain, major and lieutenant colonel complete with military berets and epaulets -- arrived at the two camps before dawn on Sunday on the pretext of conducting weapons checks.

When the sentries at the camps tried to verify their authority, the impersonators pulled rank and insisted they be taken to the armory. They drove off with their loot in three Pajero vans bearing military insignia, witnesses said.

"We believe some among them have knowledge of military affairs, as obvious from the methods of their raid," Norian said.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said the theft could have been politically motivated.

The scale of the crime was unusual in Malaysia, a largely peaceful country of 22 million people, and raised questions over its motive.

In August last year, another weapons theft occurred at a military camp in Perak. In that incident, four Steyr assault rifles were taken and police recovered them after a shoot-out with a group of bank robbers.

Unlike some of its neighbors, Malaysia does not face separatist rebellions or disgruntlement in military ranks.

Although Mahathir said on Monday it was possible the arms heist was politically motivated, he said there was no proof. He said he feared that the stolen weapons might be sold for profit.

Lim Kit Siang, national chairman of the opposition Democratic Action Party, called on Mahathir's cabinet to apologize to the nation and for Defense Minister Najib Razak to resign "for gross negligence".

Najib, who called the heist "sleek, cleverly planned and executed", said he would make a statement on Wednesday. Local newspapers, usually restrained in criticism of the government, trained their sights on the defense forces.

"Whoever is in charge of security in our military installations should stand up," The New Straits Times said. "He or they should come forward with a detailed explanation and accept blame for the patent lack of vigilance in our army camps."

The newspaper, close to the government, did not spare Najib.

"Najib, too, should ultimately be held accountable. Anything less would be untenable, unacceptable and scandalous."

The Star daily said the security foul-up, which took place when defense ministers from Britain, Australia and New Zealand were visiting Kuala Lumpur ahead of a meeting in Singapore, had left the nation red faced.