FOUR men, including two policemen, were detained to assist in a probe into police impersonation and subsequent robbing of foreign workers at a kongsi house in Simpang Ampat last Saturday.

Penang police chief Khaw Kok Chin said his team nabbed the men, aged between 24 and 37, in separate instances from 4.30pm around the Seberang Perai Tengah area after police reports were lodged.

“One of the workers, a 26-year-old Nepalese, lodged a report claiming he was robbed by policemen at the kongsi house at about 1.30am, and lost RM820.

“The victim said he and his friends were sleeping when they heard a knock on the door, and upon opening it, discovered three men in plain clothes introducing themselves as policemen,” he told Bernama today.

Khaw said the three then rushed into the house, ransacked it and asked the victim for RM5,000. The victim was only able to surrender RM520 as he did not have the money, he added.

He said the assailants started beating up a friend of the victim, and grabbed a mobile phone belonging to him before leaving the house.

Khaw said initial investigations revealed the crime scene was located within a factory construction site, and while there was close-circuit television, the recording was not clear.

“The two cops detained are a constable and corporal based at the Motorcycle Patrol Unit.

“The other two were members of the public, with one of them posing as a policemen and the other a security guard at the site,” he said.

Khaw added that the two civilians nabbed had extensive criminal records.

All have been remanded seven days to assist in investigations under sections 395 and 170 of the penal code. – Bernama, December 7, 2023.