SHAH ALAM, Sept 19 ― Selangor police confirmed that two of the three people who were killed in a shooting incident at Jalan Rawang-Batu Arang near here last Saturday, were members of Gang 08 triad who had been involved in numerous robbery cases in the state.

Selangor police chief Datuk Noor Azam Jamaludin said the suspects were identified as G.Thavaselvan 31, S. Mahendran, 23, and Sri Lankan J. Vijayaratnam 40.

Thavaselvan and Mahendran’s identities were obtained through fingerprint checks with the National Registration Department and they were identified as 08 Rawang triad members, while Vijayaratnam’s body was identified by his stepdaughter.

"Thavaselvan had 23 criminal records involving robbery cases and was detained under the Emergency Ordinance 1969 in 2006 and the Prevention of Crime Act (POCA) in 2014, at the Simpang Rengam Prison. He was also wanted by the Kuala Selangor District Police in connection with a robbery case.

"Mahendran was also identified as a 08 Rawang triad member and was involved in a robbery case in Sentul while Vijayaratnam was involved in a robbery case in Sentul in 2016,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

In response to questions if Vijayaratnam was a permanent resident in the United Kingdom and had just arrived in the country on August 31, Noor Azam said a check on the suspect's name found no record of his arrival at any of the country's entry points.

On comments that Vijayaratnam's wife, G.Moganambal, 35, was reported to be in the car at the time of the shootout, Noor Azam said police were tracking down the woman believed to have gone missing on the day of the incident and appealed to public with information, to contact the nearest police station.

"Police also deny that the woman was in the car at the time of the incident, and we confirm that only three suspects then,” he said.

Last Saturday, Noor Azam was reported to have said three men believed have been involved an armed robbery, were killed during an exchange of fire and a search of their vehicle found two semi-automatic handguns, three machetes and face masks.

Meanwhile in Kuala Lumpur, police crippled a drug trafficking syndicate believed to have been active in the Klang Valley for the past three months, with the arrest of three individuals, including a woman last Thursday.

Narcotics CID chief ACP Adnan Azizon said the local suspects aged 21, 34, and 38 were arrested and RM200,000 worth of drugs were seized.

He said he one of the men was detained at a house in Taman Desa Petaling here at 8.15pm that night and checks found ecstasy, Erimin 5 pills and ketamine in the house.

The suspect then led police to an apartment in Kuchai Lama where a couple were detained an hour later.

"Ecstasy powder and pills, marijuana and ketamine were found in the apartment and police also seized two vehicles, cash, watches and two rings,” he said in a statement yesterday.

The suspects have been remanded for seven days until tomorrow and the case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. ― Bernama