A three-hour hostage drama involving five employees and a customer during an attempted hold-up at a unisex hairdressing salon in Kuala Krai yesterday, ended with the arrest of a suspected robber.

The 27-year-old suspect had earlier attempted to rob the staff and customer at the premises, while armed with a machete and fake pistol.

Kelantan police chief Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman said the suspect was at the premises in Jalan Guchil Besar between 2.20pm and 5.30pm before a police team coaxed him into releasing the six hostages and surrender.

“We believe the suspect is facing debt problems amounting to RM20,000... he might have targeted the salon out of desperation,” he told reporters at the Kelantan police contingent headquarters in Kota Baru last night.

He said, at the time of the incident, there were three female and two male employees, and a female patron, all of whom were aged between 18 and 25.

Jalaluddin said the police were informed of the attempted robbery-cum-hostage incident by the public before a police team was despatched to the scene.

He said while holding the hostages, the man freed three of them, namely, two women and a man, at 3.30pm.

About 5.30pm, the police stormed the premises after coaxing the man to surrender, he added.

The police chief said, initial investigations revealed the suspect was a private college graduate from Perak, and that he did not have any criminal record.

Jalaluddin said the hostages, who were unhurt, were sent to the Kuala Krai Hospital for examination.

Meanwhile, one of the hairdressers, Siti Roskasma Rosdi, 25, said in the incident, she and four other colleagues had earlier, presumed that the suspect was a customer.

“As soon as I opened the main door of the salon, the man pointed what looked like a gun, in my direction and demanded money from a safe deposit box in the premises.

“When I told him that it was locked, he appeared upset and later became furious when he found out that the police were outside the salon,” she said.

Colleague managed to hide in a room

Her colleague, Nur Nadia Najwa Zainuddin, 18, said when the man was trying to rob the salon, she managed to hide in a room and contacted the police.

“I was afraid to come out of the room but hoped all my friends would be out of harm’s way,” she said, adding that she later suffered an asthma attack and fainted.

Restaurant waitress Nurshuhada Mohd Ghazali, 21, said she did not know what was happening at the salon until she entered the premises to meet a friend working there.

“As soon as I entered the salon, the man ordered me to sit quietly but he later allowed me to leave when I appealed to him to let me go,” she said.

- Bernama