JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA: A 49-year-old taxi driver brought along his wife and five children, including a baby girl, to rob a petrol station in Bandar Baru Permas Jaya near here on Saturday.
Although he armed his three sons and a daughter, aged between 8 and 15, with swords and parang, all they took were cigarettes and chocolates.
Wearing kopiah (skull caps) and jubah, the man and his sons brandished the weapons and tried to attack a police team as they made their getaway.
They then led police on a 15km chase before surrendering at 2.03pm.
Johor Baru South police chief Assistant Commissioner Zainuddin Yaacob yesterday described the case as "off the wall" as it involved the whole family, including minors.
Police were investigating the family's motive for committing the crime, he added.
He said the man was earlier involved in an assault involving his 25-year-old nephew.
Zainuddin said the nephew had lodged a police report, claiming that he sustained four stitches to his head after being attacked with a parang.
A police team went to the suspect's house in Bandar Baru Permas Jaya to investigate.
However, the family quickly left in a taxi driven by the suspect just as the police team arrived at the house.
The family even gave a warning by waving parang while leaving.
With police on their tail, the family drove to the petrol station nearby and robbed it.
While his 37-year-old wife and 16-month-old baby remained in the taxi, the man told his 8-year-old son, who had a parang, to look out for police.
and three other children went inside the station and stole four packs of cigarettes and chocolates.
Zainuddin said police, who had tailed the family to the station, asked the suspect and his family to surrender.They waved their weapons at police before escaping, he added.
"After following them for about 15km in Jalan Pasir Pelangi, the team intercepted the car near Taman Pelangi and urged them to surrender.
"We seized six parang , a vegetable knife and a wooden baton from the suspects."
He said the father and his children had allegedly shoplifted food items, drinks and cigarettes at the same outlet on two occasions on Friday He said the family did not have criminal conviction or arrest record .
Police were investigating the case for armed robbery.
Those with information can contact the Johor Baru South police control centre at 07-2218999 or the nearest police station.
