[Above: SAC II Amer (left) and Kulaijaya OCPD Supt Zulkefly Yahya showing the recovered packs of rice.]

JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA - Seven armed men broke into a rice factory and drove away with 50 tonnes of rice worth more than RM200,000 (S$82,220) in five lorries.

The suspects, who were armed with parang, had climbed the fence of the factory at Senai Industrial Park at about 11.15pm on Sunday before tying up the two security guards on duty.

They then drove away five lorries filled with 10 tonnes of "beras jati" each. However, police found one lorry and its load near Jalan Seelong here some 30 minutes after the incident.

Further investigations led police to the other four lorries near the Pasir Gudang highway but the vehicles had been emptied.

Johor CID chief Senior Asst Comm II Datuk Amer Awal said a police task force later raided a warehouse in Jalan Skudai based on a public tip-off.

"We managed to recover rice worth about RM150,000. We believe the suspects only escaped with a small amount of rice," he told a press conference here yesterday.

He said the suspects were the remnants of a gang which was busted after robbing a rice factory in Taman Johor Jaya last year.

"We have identified the suspects aged between 20 and 35.

"We are confident of detaining them soon," he said. SAC II Amer urged anyone with information to contact the police hotline at 07-221 2999 or the nearest police station.

--The Star/ANN