KOTA KINABALU: Two men killed by the police at the Penampang new township yesterday were suspected armed robbers high on the wanted list.

Police are now investigating to determine if they were responsible for at least three armed robberies this month here, in Tuaran and Penampang.

Sabah police commissioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman said the duo were shot by a team of policemen who trailed the suspects after spotting them somewhere in the city here.

“The team followed them to Penampang where the duo, who were in a four-wheel drive vehicle, stopped in front of a coffee shop.

“One of our officers approached and identified himself as a policeman but saw one of the suspects inside the vehicle had a weapon,” he said.

Shots were fired and the two suspects were killed.

“We will probe deeper into the case and I will update our findings next week,” Jalaluddin said in a press conference at the State Police headquarters in Kepayan.

-nst