[lakraboob]

JOHOR BARU, Malaysia - Police have smashed a gang believed to have been involved in 29 robberies here with the arrest of four suspects, including two women.

Johor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Shariff said the suspects, aged between 20 and 47, were arrested in a raid at a house in Jalan Harmonium 18, Taman Desa Tebrau, at around 10pm on Friday.

Police seized 165 watches, RM10,000 (S$4,091), 30 mobile phones, nine DVD players, eight bottles of liquor, eight ATM cards, six laptop computers and a Mercedez Benz that is believed to have been stolen.

"We also found 37 Eramine Five pills, six packets of syabu and weapons such as a parang and crowbar," he said here yesterday.

DCP Mohd Mokhtar also said that initial investigations revealed that one of the suspects had a criminal record and was wanted in connection with a drug and housebreaking case in 2007.

He added that the four suspects would be remanded until Friday.

In an unrelated case, police arrested two suspects believed to have been involved in 28 housebreaking cases in Seri Alam.

The suspects were detained last Wed*nesday after a Kemas kindergarten was broken into at Kampung Pasir Putih in Pasir Gudang here.

The two, aged 35 and 37, were detained at around 5pm in Tanjung Langsat.

"We also recovered a computer, two speakers, a keyboard, a battery charger and a computer mouse.

"Both suspects have criminal records," he added.

[panholio]

There are a lot of news now about different crimes such as robbery all over the world. Have you read or heard about the robbery happened in Albemarle, Virginia? There are two men who were very eager for a cash advance who took measures into their own hands. They robbed a Virginia payday loan establishment. A female employee was assaulted during the robbery. There are a lot of ways for someone to have money in legal way that does not involve violence. Everybody can get Payday loan rather than resorting to desperate measures like these. But even if I am not able to get any loan, I would never risk my own conscience just for money. As I said, we just need patience in looking for a good job. May these two men (and to others who were thinking of doing this kind of crime), open their minds and be able to think and decide well. Joblessness and low economy are never an excuse to commit such crime.