M'sia police officer, 35, dies after being run over by burglary suspects fleeing in SUV

A police officer in Malaysia died after he was run over by suspects who were trying to flee the scene of a burglary in a sport utility vehicle (SUV).

The burglary took place at a house in Taman Golf in Alor Setar, Kedah.

Suspects were fleeing the scene in an SUV

Bernama reported that at about 3:30pm on Aug. 7, Kedah police received a tip-off regarding a suspected house burglary in the area.

A team comprising five officers from the Kedah Criminal Investigation Department (CID), one of whom was Corporal Mohd Hafizul Izham Mazlan, 35, was dispatched to the scene in two vehicles.

Knocked down when he stepped out of car

Upon arriving, Hafizul had just stepped out of the car when he was knocked over by an SUV driven by the suspects who were attempting to flee the scene.

He suffered severe injuries to his head and body, and died on the spot.

One of the suspects was apprehended at the scene, but the other three managed to escape in the SUV.

The three later hijacked a couple's car at a nearby hotel in Kepala Batas, Kedah, forcing the driver out of his car and driving off with his wife still inside.

However, they got into an accident in the area shortly after, leading to their arrest.

Home surveillance camera caught four suspects breaking in

According to Sin Chew Daily, the owner of the one of the houses which was burgled had uploaded closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the break-in on Facebook.

He lived in a two-storey semi-detached house.

The footage showed a blue Lexus stopping in front of the house at around 10:17am.

One of the suspects exited the vehicle, rang the doorbell and stood there for about one minute before pretending to make a phone call and returning to the car.

About 10 minutes later, another suspect got out of the car and used a tool to pry open the gate of the house.

He then returned to the car briefly before exiting the vehicle again and entering the house.

The suspect earlier also exited the car and followed him in.

Sin Chew Daily reported that according to the owner, two iPads, a watch, a bag and cash were stolen.

After burgling the first house, the two suspects proceeded to climb over the wall to the neighbouring house to steal more items.

The entire crime reportedly took less than 20 minutes.

The owner, who was at work at the time of the break-in, said his wife only discovered that their house had been broken into when she returned home with their children.

The neighbours were also at work at the time.

Helped track suspects using the "Find My" function on their iPad

According to Sin Chew Daily, the owner had lodged a police report and helped police to track the suspects by using the "Find My" function on their iPad.

The owner also urged the public to remain vigilant and warned that such crimes are increasingly carried out during the day.

He advised parents not to leave their children alone at home and encouraged people to install CCTV cameras in their house for security.

Suspects had prior criminal records

It was reported that the suspected ringleader, aged 26, has 77 prior criminal records, including burglary, car theft and drug-related offences, Bernama reported.

The other three suspects also have prior convictions.

Investigators found clear signs of forced entry at the house, including broken locks and a door that had been pried open.

Preliminary investigations also suggested that the suspects, believed to be from Johor, are part of a mobile burglary syndicate operating across state borders, New Straits Times (NST) reported.

"We are working closely with other contingents, including Johor, to determine whether this was a random strike or a job based on insider information", said Kedah police chief Commissioner Adzli Abu Shah.

He added that the case is currently being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder and Section 457 for housebreaking.

The Star reported that as of Aug. 8, all four suspects, aged 24 to 26, have been remanded and will be in custody till Aug. 14.

Late cop leaves behind a wife and three sons

According to Bernama, Hafizul had served in the police force for 15 years.

His body was sent to Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah for post-mortem examination.

He is survived by his wife and his three sons, aged four, nine and 11.

Top photos via @Volks Khor/Facebook