ALOR STAR (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A gang, believed to be behind the RM300,000 (S$103,719) bank heist in the city earlier this year, has struck again.

Like the earlier robbery, the gang blasted open an ATM at a bank in Jalan Ibrahim with a homemade pipe bomb and fled with RM300,000.

Kubang Pasu district police chief Supt Abdul Rahim Abdullah said during the 5am incident on Tuesday (April 26), two men approached the bank while their accomplice waited outside in the car.

"They wore ski masks. One of them placed a homemade explosive near the ATM which then went off.

"The impact of the explosion shattered the glass door panel of the bank," he said.

Supt Abdul Rahim said the whole incident was recorded by the bank's closed-circuit television (CCTV).

"The two men scooped the money and fled. It was all over in two minutes," he said, adding that in their haste, the robbers left about RM660.

An image of the car, said Supt Abdul Rahim, was captured on the CCTV at the Jitra Toll Plaza at 4am and again, at 5.11am heading north towards Bukit Kayu Hitam.

"We believe they were also involved in a similar robbery at a bank in Simpang Kuala, Alor Star, on Feb 5.

"During the incident, they also escaped with about RM300,000," he said.