The Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia is verifying a report by Malaysian media that local police shot and killed two Vietnamese nationals, along with one Bangladeshi, who had allegedly been robbing jewelry stores since June last year, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The embassy has reached out to Malaysian authorities to verify the identities of the two suspected Vietnamese nationals, the ministry's spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said during a press briefing in Hanoi on Thursday.

The agency will provide the media with updated information when available, Hang added. 

The shooting occurred on Monday evening between the three men and local police in Pekan District, Pahang State, while the trio was preparing to rob a local jewelry store, New Straits Times reported, citing police officers. 

The men were in a suspicious-looking Proton Waja parked in a residential area in Pekan when police officers approached the vehicle to carry out an inspection.

Upon seeing the approaching officers, the driver sped off, prompting a high-speed chase. 

When the car was eventually stopped, the men opened fire on the police officers, who then fired back in self-defense, killing all the three in their vehicle, Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said.

Police found a Glock-17 pistol along with six bullets in a magazine and recovered three bullet casings at the scene.

They also recovered two grinder machines, two drills, two parangs, a box containing a cordless drill, a crowbar, a hammer, screwdrivers, gloves, and a tool bag from the car.

In addition, two sets of false vehicle registration plates were found, the Pahang police chief said.

Over the past 10 months, the three men have broken into six jewelry shops in several states, stealing gold items worth about RM4 million (US$850,500), according to investigators. 

“They have been active since June last year targeting jewelry stores. They will break and enter the premises during long weekends and public holidays when the businesses are usually closed,” New Straits Times cited the police chief as saying.  

Recent checks revealed that the two Vietnamese nationals had traveled in and out of Malaysia on tourist visas, while the Bangladeshi, who owned the Waja and had a Malaysian driver’s license, was believed to have been staying in Malaysia for quite some time, investigators said. 

Local police believed the trio, aged 35-44, were part of a bigger gang and said they are tracking down the other gang members.

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