By P. Chandra Sagaran

IPOH, Malaysia: Police shot dead four foreigners near the Simpang Pulai toll plaza of the North-South Expressway, some 30 minutes after they had robbed a family here early yesterday.

The four, believed to be Indonesians, were shot after they opened fire at the policemen who were approaching them.

Police recovered a revolver, three bullets, two spent casings, four parang, a crowbar, a cutter, a screwdriver, four mobile phones, 14 watches, a camera, jewellery and RM1,172 from their car.

The four had earlier held up a family of five in Taman Desa Aman about 3am.

Perak police chief Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah said a police team spotted a car travelling on the south-bound lane of the expressway at 3.30am and managed to intercept it before the toll plaza.

Four policemen alighted from their patrol car to investigate but were confronted by one of the suspects, who charged at them with a parang.

At this juncture, shots rang out from the suspects' car and a shootout ensued, which left the robbers, aged between 35 and 45, dead.

Investigations revealed that the car was reported stolen at Sungai Senam, here, on May 26.

Two of the suspects had valid travel documents and had entered the country less than a week ago.

"We are now checking whether they were involved in other robberies," he said.

Meanwhile, police are working closely with the bomb disposal unit from Bukit Aman to detonate a World War Two bomb, which was found embedded in Sungai Pinji in Tambun, here.

Zulkifli said they had to take necessary precautions as the bomb was near a residential area.

"We may have to ask the residents to move out before detonating the bomb. For now, we have cordoned off the area."