PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA - It was the end of the road for a gang of robbers who were terrorising residents in Selangor and Negri Sembilan after police shot dead two foreigners in Serendah yesterday.

The two were part of a nine-member gang that had been active in the two states for about four years.

Police also arrested three locals, one of them a woman. They were aged between 20 and 30.

Selangor CID chief Senior Asst Comm (II) Hasnan Hassan said police spotted the wanted gang members moving in a van and a taxi near Jalan Pinggiran Tasik Kiampeng in Serendah at 4am yesterday.

Police flagged down the vehicles and identified themselves but suddenly two men rushed out from the van and charged at the policemen with a parang and a sickle.

"My men were almost slashed. They had no other option but to open fire," said SAC (II) Hasnan.

He said the two foreigners, aged 20 and 35, died on the spot.

"Four more suspects, who were later identified as foreigners, escaped into a nearby forest. We have mounted a search for them."

He said the gang has been linked with at least six robberies in the last two weeks, including two in Selandar, three in Nilai and one in Kuala Selangor, with total losses estimated at RM180,000.

"The Kuala Selangor case, which occurred two weeks ago, involved the home of a former Grik OCPD that was robbed.?

SAC (II) Hasnan said the locals in the gang, including a taxi driver, acted as a snoop squad, instructing the foreigners which house to target.

Houses that were hit were usually those located near to jungle fringes. The gang would then hide in the jungle and wait for dark before breaking into the house.

The gang, armed with parangs and sickles, would tie up the occupants before robbing them of valuables. Two members would stand guard outside the home to alert the rest in case of trouble.

In some cases, the victims were slashed when they put up a struggle.