Penang police chief Hamzah Ahmad said in the 3.20am incident, a police team from the criminal investigation department was patrolling along Jalan Bukit Panchor when they spotted a car near a factory.

“The policemen were approaching the car when they saw two men coming out of a factory there.

“The policemen ordered them to stop, but the two men attacked the police with parangs, forcing them to fire four shots in self-defence.

“The two men died at the scene. Police found two parangs and various tools, suspected of being used in house, factory and office burglaries,” he told a press conference at the Seberang Perai Selatan police headquarters here today.

Hamzah said police checks on the two men found that they were Vietnamese nationals, aged 38 and 39, who entered the country as tourists.

He said the two men were believed to have been responsible for six burglary cases reported in Penang and five more in Kedah, involving total losses of RM317,700.

Hamzah said further investigations are being carried out, including tracing a syndicate believed to comprise Vietnamese nationals.

“Police found that the gang has been in and out of the country since 2017 to break into factories and offices.”

Hamzah said checks also found that the two men had previous convictions for various criminal offences.