S'pore hunts armed fugitives

S'pore hunts armed fugitives

SINGAPORE: Hundreds of Singaporean soldiers and police combed through thick mangroves on a military training island on Thursday, hunting for three armed fugitives who escaped from Malaysia, the defense ministry said.

The suspected thieves fled the scene of an armed robbery in the Malaysian state of Johor using a speedboat, and are believed to be hiding on Singapore's northeast Tekong island.

More than 400 soldiers and police searched the dense tropical forest aided by a dozen dogs as helicopters searched by air, ministry spokeswoman Lee May Lin said.

Police officials in Johor said they had "no information" about a robbery or the fugitives.

Singapore defense officials said also they had no details about the robbery.

Malaysian authorities requested Singapore's help in locating the suspects at 8:45 a.m. (7:45 a.m. in Jakarta) on Thursday morning, the ministry said. --AP