KAMPAR: A 75km high-speed chase ended with the death of a suspected burglar who had rammed a police vehicle at a disused mining pool in Kota Bahru near here yesterday.

After being shot by police, Tan Chin Teik, 37, drove his car through a fence and landed in the pool. He emerged from the water, but collapsed.

State police chief Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah said the chase began at 6.45am in Gopeng when a police patrol car spotted Tan driving in an erratic and "suspicious manner".

He said when policemen tried to stop the vehicle, the driver sped off and a chase ensued.

Zulkifli said Tan drove to Kuala Dipang, where he made an about-turn and headed back towards Gopeng.
At Kota Bahru, Tan turned into a dirt road which ended near a mining pool with a fence around it.

"At this point, the suspect reversed his car into the patrol car," said Zulkifli, who was accompanied by district police chief Superintendent Nordin Manan.

Fearing for their safety, the two policemen in the patrol car exited the vehicle, just before Tan crashed his car into it.

Zulkifli said the policemen fired several shots at Tan's vehicle, before it crashed through the fence and plunged into the pool.

Clutching a parang in one hand, Tan managed to get out of the vehicle and swam to shore, where he collapsed and died.

Zulkifli said, besides the parang, police recovered a crowbar, a knife, RM200 and an undisclosed amount in Singapore, Hong Kong and Sierra Leone currencies.

He said Tan had a record for three previous burglaries in Kuantan, Klang and Kampar in 2003 and 2004.

Checks showed that the car, a Datsun 120Y, belonged to a family member and had false registration plates.

On another matter, Zulkifli said police believed they had solved at least 41 burglary cases in eight states with the arrest of four Indonesians in Felda Nenering in Pengkalan Hulu, near Grik, on Sunday.

Police are now looking for other members of the gang.

"The breakthrough came when a Proton Waja rammed through a roadblock in Grik on Saturday.

"Several police cars were in pursuit as the Waja headed towards Pengkalan Hulu.

"However, at 10.30am, the driver managed to lose the pursuing cars in Felda Nenering," said Zulkifli.

Checks revealed the car was stolen in Changkat Jering last Wednesday.

On Sunday, the car was spotted in the Felda scheme. An operation was mounted and four foreigners were arrested.

Police seized two parang and a screwdriver. They recovered three laptop computers, five handphones, a gold chain and bracelet, and five ferry tickets to travel between Batam and Malaysia.

Investigations revealed the men were involved in robberies and break-ins in Perak, Selangor, Terengganu, Kelantan, Kedah, Johor, Negri Sembilan and Malacca.