MIRI, MALAYSIA: The manager of a major lottery outlet here had a horrifying start to the Year of the Rat when his entire family was held at gunpoint while he was forced to "give away" more than RM170,000 in cash and belongings to a group of armed robbers.

The manager, aged in his late 60s, who operates a lottery outlet in a commercial centre here, was taken on a horror ride during the wee hours of Tuesday morning after he was abducted from his house by a group of six pistol-toting masked men who paid him an unwelcome visit while he was fast asleep.

The robbers had apparently broken into his house while he and his wife and two children were sleeping.

They tied up all the members of his household before a few of them dragged him into his car, forced him to drive to his office and forced him to open the iron safe.

Inside the safe was more than RM130,000 in cash - proceeds from the sales of lottery slips during the Chinese New Year holiday period over the past few days.

The robbers took away every single ringgit before they drove him back to his house, tied him up with the rest of his household and escaped.

Luckily, the robbers did not hurt the elderly man and his family. They however, drove away his saloon car worth at least RM40,000.

The victims later managed to free themselves and lodged a police report.

According to the report lodged by the manager, the robbers said they knew him well.

It is learned that the manager continued to operate his lottery outlet throughout the Chinese New Year holidays and after because business was very good.

Miri police chief ACP Jamaluddin Ibrahim on Tuesday said that police had started a manhunt for the robbers.

He declined to comment if the robbers could be from the same gang responsible for several similar armed robberies in Miri last year.

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