KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Police scored two major successes over the past 48 hours, including solving the RM3.5 million robbery outside the main terminal building of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport earlier this month. Five men were arrested in Johor on Friday in connection with the April 9 heist which saw five people wounded in a shoot-out with the robbers.

Sources said firearms were seized from the five men. However, it is not known if any of the money, some S$1.5 million (RM3.5 million), had been recovered.

"We believe we have solved the case with the arrests of the five suspects," said a source.

Efforts to get an official confirmation of the arrests proved futile. It is understood Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan would be making the announcement at a press conference today.

In the evening heist at KLIA, four gunmen had ambushed two moneychangers and their armed guard as they were transporting the cash.

The armed guard and an off-duty policeman had returned fire but were wounded in the exchange, along with the moneychangers and a passer-by.

The second success came when 13 members of a drug syndicate were arrested in several raids in Kajang and here.

Police seized several weapons in the raids, including an assault rifle, more than 1,000 bullets of various calibre, 1kg of syabu worth about RM250,000 and an undisclosed amount of chemicals and raw materials used to process the drug.

The weapons seized included a Steyr AUG assault rifle, a Glock semi-automatic pistol, two Smith & Wesson revolvers, another .38 calibre revolver and a pump gun.

Sources said a drug laboratory was discovered at the Kenangan Apartments in Kajang. It is believed to be one of the biggest shut down by police in recent times.

"There was a sizeable number of drums of chemicals discovered at the laboratory. It is believed that the syabu produced was meant for export," the source said.

The raid on the apartment took place at 7pm on Friday. It was the first of three raids.

The police team arrested four members of the syndicate in the raid, one of whom was shot and wounded. The Glock semi-automatic pistol and .38 calibre revolver were seized from them.

Four hours later, a raid on a house in Bandar Bukit Mahkota saw seven suspected members arrested and seizure of the two Smith & Wesson revolvers.

At 4am yesterday, a man and a woman were nabbed at a house in Jalan Kuchai Lama.

Police discovered 1kg of syabu and a mini-arsenal of weapons, including the assault rifle, pump gun and ammunition.

"Initial investigations revealed the syabu was meant to be exported to Australia, China, Japan, Thailand and Taiwan," a source said.