KUALA LUMPUR (BERNAMA) - A group of men armed with hammers took just about three minutes to escape with jewellery worth 1.5 million ringgit (S$493,080) from a goldsmith shop in a shopping mall in Taman Segar, Cheras on Sunday night (Dec 31).

Cheras district deputy police chief Supt Ismadi Borhan said the suspects, who were wearing full-face helmets and gloves, stormed into the shop where five employees, including a security guard, were working.

"Initial investigation revealed that five of the men had rushed into the premises and smashed the glass display cabinets... the other five accomplices were waiting outside (the mall) on several Yamaha 125Z motorcycles.

"The suspects, all of whom are in their 20s, only took about three minutes to escape with the jewellery," he said when met at the scene here.

"In addition, the forensic team found evidence such as cigarette butts which can be linked to the case.

"According to witnesses, there was an explosion at the scene. However, initial investigation found that there was no firearm being used in the incident, and the sound was probably due to the smashing of the glass showcase," he said.