Armed gang escapes with RM500,000 in jewellery after five-minute Kuantan raid

FOUR masked men armed with machetes and a suspected pump-action shotgun escaped with jewellery worth about RM500,000 after raiding a jewellery shop in Taman Pandan Damai here in a robbery that lasted only about five minutes.

Kuantan district police chief Assistant Commissioner Ashari Abu Samah said the robbery occurred at about 2pm yesterday, with the suspects entering the shop while only the owner’s wife and two female employees were inside.

“There were no customers at the time, only the shop owner’s wife and two female employees. The suspects were in the premises for about five minutes before fleeing with the stolen items,” BH reported him saying today.

The suspects reportedly arrived on two motorcycles without registration plates, which police believe may have been used as part of an attempt to avoid identification.

The motorcycles were left outside the premises, which had no security guard on duty when the robbery occurred.

Police are examining CCTV footage from nearby premises and dashcam recordings to establish the suspects’ movements and determine whether they abandoned the motorcycles before switching to another vehicle.

Ashari said investigators were also tracing the route taken by the suspects, as they may not have travelled far using the motorcycles.

Police are also investigating the possibility that other individuals were involved in the robbery.

The case is the second armed jewellery robbery reported in Pahang within a week, following a separate incident in Genting Highlands, Bentong, on Aug 17 in which three men reportedly escaped with jewellery worth RM1.7 million.

The suspects in that case remain at large.

The two cases, involving jewellery worth a combined RM2.2 million, have placed renewed focus on security risks faced by jewellery businesses and other high-value retail premises in the state.

Police are continuing efforts to identify and track down those responsible, including through CCTV and dashcam footage, and have appealed to anyone with information on the robbery or the suspects’ movements to come forward. - August 22, 2026