Kelantan police chief Datuk Shafien Mamat said the incident occurred when a police patrol car came across a Honda Accord that was being driven in a suspicious manner in Pasir Mas town at 7.05am. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri
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KOTA BARU, May 5 — A policeman was forced to open fire at a car believed to be owned by a fireworks smuggler after the driver tried to ram him in an incident in Kampung Peringat here this morning.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Shafien Mamat said the incident occurred when a police patrol car came across a Honda Accord that was being driven in a suspicious manner in Pasir Mas town at 7.05am.
Alerted to the presence of police, the driver accelerated and escaped towards Lemal.
“At the same time, another patrol vehicle from the Pasir Mas district police headquarters arrived at the Lemal roundabout and join in the chase past the Salor bridge towards Kota Bharu.
“The suspect’s car then moved towards Jalan Aur Duri, Ketereh, and eventually reached a dead-end at a village area at Peringat,” he said in a statement today.
Shafien said it was then that the policeman came out of the patrol car and to the side of the suspect’s vehicle and ordered the latter to come out.
According to him, the suspect refused to comply, and instead tried to ram the policeman, forcing the latter to open fire to stop the vehicle.
“The suspect then acted aggressively by turning the vehicle and managed to escape. Another patrol car tried to track the suspect but failed until reaching Kampung Seterpa where villagers informed them that the suspect’s car had entered the Kuin cemetary area in Peringat.
“As soon as the police arrived at the location, they found the car abandoned by the side of the road with the door ajar, and the suspect is believed to have escaped,” he said.
He said further checks on the car revealed that the back seat and boot of the car were filled with boxes of various fireworks.
The car was not reported lost, he said, adding that efforts to locate and apprehend the suspect were underway.
“The police will investigate the case under Section 307 of the Penal Code, Section 39 of the Firearms Act 1960 and Section 8 of the Explosives Act 1957,” he added. — Bernama