11 security guards arrested for bringing shotguns home

11 security guards were arrested by the police for bringing the shotguns assigned to them home after finishing their duties at banks in Sabak Bernam. The Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan stated that the raids were conducted on Tuesday (Feb 6) and Wednesday (Feb 7) after monitoring the guards for about a week. During the raids, 11 shotguns and 55 live shotgun shells were seized.

According to Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, some guards kept the shotguns under their beds, inside cupboards, or in their cars. It was observed that some guards carried the weapons by slinging it on their shoulders while riding motorcycles.

The security guards have been released on police bail while the police investigate the case for failing to comply with the conditions of an arms permit under Section 8(b) of the Firearms Act. The guards alleged that their employer, based in Kuala Lumpur, instructed them to bring the weapons home after work instead of handing them over to the employer.

Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan explained that the employer should keep the weapons in a vault. In cases where the employer is in another state, it is the employer’s responsibility to set up a branch close to the security guards’ place of work and prepare a vault where the weapons could be stored safely. Guards employed by this company had committed similar offenses in the past, with a guard in Perak caught for bringing his weapon home in 2015.

The police are conducting ongoing checks to ensure that firearms permit holders comply with the regulations. If found guilty, the company could lose its firearms permit.