Manhunt for killer guard’s accomplice

KUALA LUMPUR - A manhunt has been launched for the accomplice of the security guard who murdered Ambank officer Norazita Abu Talib in cold blood before escaping with RM450,000 in cash.

Known only as Joemar, he is believed to be in possession of most of the stolen money and the co-conspirator in the bank heist.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the Indonesian had planned the heist with the guard.

“We are investigating the whereabouts of Joemar (below right). We will see whether there is a need to release a fotofit of him,” he said at a press conference after launching a seminar on crime prevention based on Islamic teachings yesterday.

Khalid said police had also found out the actual name of the guard who is a 35-year-man from Sulawesi Tenggara.

He had admitted to buying a fake identification card from another Indonesian man after coming to Malaysia, said Khalid.

The pump gun found in a drain some 500m from the crime scene.The Indonesian suspect in the AmBank murder-and-robbery has led police to the pump gun he allegedly used.

Key evidence: A police personnel taking a picture of the pump gun used in the bank heist which was recovered from a drain some 500m from the crime scene in Jalan Persiaran Subang.

“The identification card used by the suspect is not equipped with a biometric chip. It is in fact an old identification card prior to the introduction of MyKad.

“We will contact our Indonesian counterparts to confirm all the information revealed by the suspect,” he said, adding that police would also investigate the possibility that the guard was a habitual gambler.

Khalid said police had recovered the pump gun used in the heist, located in a drain some 500m from the crime scene at Jalan Persiaran Subang, Jalan Subang 2 yesterday.

“Police personnel brought the suspect to the crime scene, where he showed us where he dumped the gun,” he said.

Asked how long the suspect had been hiding in Kampung Tanjung Belungkor, Johor, before he was caught on Sunday, Khalid declined to say more.

“We did not seize any of the stolen loot. We are investigating whether he had been hiding in the village or about to book an illegal passage out of the country,” he said.

“We only recovered RM20,000 of the stolen money after raiding the home of the suspect’s family members,” he said.

On Oct 23, Ambank operations manager Norazita Abu Talib was shot when she and a colleague were opening a safe on the bank in USJ, Selangor.

The guard escaped with RM450,000. Twelve suspects, all Indonesians aged between 30 and 50, have been detained.

Among those arrested were the guard’s wife, his family members and acquaintances. Most of them were found to be using fake MyKads.