BALING: Police fired five warning shots at a vehicle carrying six people, including three women, in a high-speed chase here early today.
Gerik police officers received information about a Proton Perdana car speeding through a roadblock in Sungai Lebey at 4am.
He said officers located the car at a petrol station in Kuala Rui, Gerik, Perak.
"The officers tried to inspect the car, but the driver sped on, leading to a chase that entered Baling district.
"The officers asked for help from Baling police."
Shamsudin said Gerik police officers ordered the driver to stop.
The driver refused to stop, he said, leading to police officers firing warning shots at the car's tyres.
"Five warning shots were fired, two of which hit the car's trunk, while the other three missed.
"The driver continued driving recklessly until the car skidded on the Kuala Pegang Bridge."
Two suspects, believed to be the driver and front passenger, escaped under the bridge.
Police inspected the car and found a man and three foreign women, aged between 23 and 39, and lacking travel documents, he said.
Police arrested the passengers and transported the car to the Baling police headquarters, he added.
He said that the case was being investigated under Section 39 of the Arms Act 1960 and Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act.
"The case is also being investigated under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 by Gerik police."
He said police would investigate if police officers followed procedure when firing the warning shots.