The gang was routed after a police team shot dead an African member and arrested an African, Arab and two locals in Ampang here early yesterday.

Police investigations revealed the gang’s suspected mastermind is an African who is one of the four suspects detained.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Mazlan Lazim said the gang was believed to have been actively engaged in foreign currency robberies in Kuala Lumpur since 2016.

He said the heists involved losses totalling RM12 million, based on police reports lodged by the victims against the gang.

“The gang would offer higher exchange rates than market rates before robbing the victims and escaping with their money,” he told reporters today.

The latest case yesterday on Jalan Damai, Cheras, involved US$150,000 (RM595,800) belonging to a 29-year-old man who was robbed by the gang members.

After the victim alerted the police, a team of policemen pursued a black Toyota Vios ferrying two Africans, an Arab and two locals.

The vehicle stalled on Jalan Memanda 2, Ampang, and “one of the Africans lunged at a policeman with a machete but was shot dead. Following a short chase, police detained the rest of the dead man’s accomplices.

Police are seeking two more African men to facilitate investigations, he said. The suspects, aged between 28 and 50, were remanded for four days.