Alor gajah: Three suspected criminals were shot dead after one of them slashed a policeman with a machete at an oil palm plantation in Durian Tunggal, Alor Gajah, today. Melaka police chief Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar stated that the incident occurred at about 4.30 am, resulting in the police corporal, in his 30s, sustaining an injury on his left arm.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the suspects, aged between 24 and 29, were part of Geng Durian Tunggal and were en route to rob a premises when they encountered a police team conducting Op Casa Melaka at the plantation. When the police attempted to apprehend them, one suspect aggressively attacked a policeman with a machete, leading to the injury.

Dzulkhairi explained that the police were compelled to open fire on the three suspects in self-defence. Two of the suspects were identified as being 24 and 29 years old, while the third suspect remains unidentified due to the absence of identification on his body.

Geng Durian Tunggal has been involved in criminal activities since 2024, with 20 cases reported in Melaka and additional cases in Negeri Sembilan and Selangor, resulting in losses amounting to RM1.35 million. The 29-year-old suspect had 39 crime- and drug-related records, while the 24-year-old had 12 previous cases related to crime and drugs.

The gang's method involved parking their vehicle in the plantation and proceeding on foot to rob premises such as houses, shops, and factories. Police seized three machetes, a grille cutter, three face masks, and three pairs of gloves at the scene. The injured policeman is currently receiving treatment at Melaka Hospital.

Dzulkhairi noted that Op Casa Melaka has been ongoing since last month due to a rise in robbery cases in the state this year.