Malacca Hindu devotees robbed of RM75000 worth of jewellery while in prayer

MALACCA: A group of devotees at a Hindu temple here were relieved off RM75,000 in valuables when robbers armed with parangs barged into the temple at Taman Bunga Raya, Air Keroh and robbed them during evening prayers.
In a first for the state, the six robbers wearing full-face helmets and each armed with two foot-long parangs arrived on three motorcycles when the priest of the Karadi Malai Sri Durgai Amman Alayam temple was conducting prayers before the devotees comprising of two men and the rest women and children at about 4.30pm on Tuesday.
The robbers threatened the devotees with their weapons and ordered them to hand over their jewellery, handbags and wallets.
The terrified devotees did as ordered and within minutes the crooks fled the scene with the loot from the devotees, aged between 11 and 46.
The victims were not harmed and a devotee called the police soon after. The 29-year-old priest of the temple lodged a police report.
Sources said a female devotee lost her diamond necklace, gold ring and gold bracelet worth RM50,000.
Other victims lost gems, cash, credit cards, ATM cards, MyKads and mobile phones worth between RM1,000 and RM8,000 to the robbers.
Sources said police believed the registration plates of the motorcycles used by the robbers was fake.
Police are also trying to raise a photofit of a suspect who was seen by a witness.
Malacca police CID chief ACP Kamaluddin Kassim said the temple did not have closed-circuit security cameras (CCTV).
"This is the first time such case involving a place of worship has occurred in Malacca. We are seeking the help of witnesses in identifying the crooks as there was no CCTV at the temple. Investigations and the hunt for the robbers are ongoing." he told theSun today.
Those with information on the case are urged to contact Malacca police at 06-2854222.