TAPAH: Police fired shots at a vehicle that failed to stop after being flagged down near the Tapah rest and service area here today.
District police chief Superintendent Mohd Naim Asnawi said around midnight, police received information from a senior officer at the Kajang Criminal Investigation Department that they had been pursuing a grey Perodua Myvi heading north from Kajang, Selangor.
Naim said the car, occupied by a male and a female suspects, attempted to ram a police vehicle and the policemen who were trying to detain them in front of a fast-food restaurant.
"In self-defence, the police team fired four shots at the suspects' vehicle, which attempted to hit them.
"However, the suspects managed to escape by driving by heading south on the North-South Expressway.
"Upon reaching Km332.5 of the expressway, they abandoned the car and fled into a nearby forest," he said in a statement today.
He added that investigation revealed that police had attempted to detain the suspects as they were believed to be involved in a house burglary case in Kajang.
"Forensic teams and the K9 unit from the Perak police headquarters are assisting with the investigation. Op Tutup has been launched to track down the suspects, who are still at large.
"Following the incident, checks on the vehicle used by the suspects revealed that it was registered under the name of a Malaysian woman."
He said the male suspect had 15 prior criminal records, including eight criminal cases and seven drug-related offences.
The case is being investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder, which carries a minimum 20-year prison sentence upon conviction.
Naim urged anyone with information about the incident to come forward to any nearby police station or contact Tapah police headquarters at 05-4011222.
"We also advise the public not to engage in any activities that violate the law or cause public concern."