Langkawi’s Spiciest Heist: Robber Armed With Machete AND Chilli Powder

The man was caught by patrol officers shortly after fleeing the scene.

Source: X | @update11111

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In what sounds like a rejected plot for a low-budget action movie, a 45-year-old man decided to rob a gold shop in Langkawi armed with a machete and, wait for it…chilli powder.

Yes, chilli powder.

The incident, which took place around 11:48am on Wednesday (18 June) in Jalan Pandak Mayah, Kuah, was captured on CCTV camera and is now spicing up social media feeds.

The footage shows the masked suspect barging into the store like he had nothing to lose (except maybe a sense of logic), hurling chilli powder at a staff member in what we can only assume was meant to be some kind of tactical distraction.

With the victim temporarily stunned (and probably crying tears of confusion), the man proceeded to smash the glass display case and grabbed gold jewellery estimated to be worth around RM50,000. Then he ran.

But his great escape didn’t quite go as planned.

The 69-year-old shop owner, clearly not in the mood to get robbed, was joined by some good old-fashioned Malaysian bystanders who weren’t about to let a chilli-wielding robber ruin their day.

The suspect was eventually caught by patrolling police officers who were in the area and, thankfully, not blinded by spices.

According to Sinar Harian, Langkawi District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Shariman Ashari confirmed that the man acted alone, and that at the time of the incident, only the owner and a 60-year-old woman were inside the shop.

The suspect is now being investigated under Sections 392 and 397 of the Penal Code for armed robbery, which could land him up to 14 years in prison and a few strokes of the rotan, though it’s safe to say he’s already feeling the burn.