George Town, Malaysia: A woman was abducted and driven to her jewellery store where she was forced to hand over jewellery and cash amounting to more than RM1.4 million (S$575 000) to two armed robbers on Monday night.

The woman was walking alone to her car in Jalan Van Praagh after a visit to a night market when she was confronted by two men armed with knives about 11pm.

Penang police chief Datuk Ayub Yaakob said the robbers pushed her into the back seat before driving off to her shop at the Jelutong industrial area, about 4km four from where she was held.

"She was forced to open the doors to the shop and the vault," said Ayub, adding they then took eight gold bars, each weighing one kilogramme, worth RM769,000 in total, RM497,000 worth of jewellery, US$20,300, a laptop and two mobile phones.

Ayub described the two men as in their 30s while the victim was in her 20s.

He said this after attending the police excellent service award ceremony at the Federal Reserve Unit base at Rifle Range yesterday.

Ayub said the victim, who sustained injuries to the right leg and hand, contacted the police after the robbers fled.

The robbers had also damaged the closed-circuit television cameras in the shop.

A couple in their 20s have been detained to facilitate investigations. --NST