[Photo: The money that was recovered from the two suspects.]

By : Phuah Ken Lin

GEORGE TOWN, Malaysia: A 28-year-old money transfer service employee was arrested after claiming he had been robbed of RM80,000 ($33,416) while on his way to deposit the cash for his employer on Sunday.

Police were suspicious of the man and upon interrogation, he confessed to having conspired with a 33-year-old accomplice to stage the robbery.

Northeast police chief Assistant Commissioner Azam Abdul Hamid said the man had claimed he was confronted by two men wearing full-face motorcycle helmets in front of a bank at Komtar about 5.40pm that day.

He had also claimed that the men escaped on a motorcycle after grabbing a bag in which the cash had been placed.

"The suspect later confessed that he had told his accomplice the time and place where he would be making the deposit," said Azam.

He said a follow-up operation on Monday saw police detain the man's accomplice in Taiping, but the two men who had taken the bag were still at large.

Azam said police recovered RM14,000 from the accomplice's house in Taiping.

The duo have been remanded till Monday and are expected to be charged with robbery soon.

On another matter, Azam said police have busted a car theft gang with the arrests of five men in their 20s and 30s.

He said the gang, which targeted Proton and Perodua cars, had committed a spate of thefts since last month but is believed to have been active since last year.

The cars they target, Proton Wajas and Perdanas and Perodua Kancils, were sold for between RM1,000 and RM3,000.