ALOR SETAR: Two men who used the lorry they were in to crash into a police vehicle during an escape attempt were arrested in Kampung Belat, Kubur Panjang near Pendang, yesterday.

Kedah police chief Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat said that prior to the incident, the two suspects, who were in a lorry, were being chased by a police team from Gerik, Perak before it entered Baling, Sik and then Pendang.

"Police started chasing the two suspects in their 20s at 5.45 am and when they reached Kampung Belat, the suspects crashed their lorry into a police car. Following that, police fired several shots in self-defence.

"Police, who managed to arrest the two suspects a few hours later, conducted a further inspection and found 0.34 grammes of crystal slabs and powder believed to be syabu on the suspects," he said in a statement.

Kamarul Zaman said a check on the lorry found that the vehicle was reported missing in Kepala Batas previously.

"Both suspects also have criminal records involving crime and narcotics cases," he said, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code (Act 574) for attempted murder and Section 12 (2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for possession of drugs.

-- BERNAMA