Guangzhou police caught five suspected members of a robbery ring, which allegedly stole a payroll of 850,000 yuan (US$103, 658) and killed an escort, the Southern Metropolitan News reported Sunday.

Mr. Yang, a security guard of the Jiufo Electronics Co. Ltd, and four of his colleagues, were escorting the company's payroll from a bank to the company when their automobile was forced to stop by a motorcycle Thursday morning.

There were three men on the motorcycle, which had followed the escort vehicle before overtaking it and forcing it to stop. The men fired shots into the driver's cabin, grabbed the money and fled in a matter of minutes.

Yang and the driver were injured and Yang died in hospital. The driver, surnamed Dai, suffered an arm injury.

The case attracted strict attention from authorities and leaders of the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department were quite concerned about the robbery.

A special team was set up and Friday afternoon, about 30 hours after the robbery, the police team learned the whereabouts of the suspects.

Five were caught at three places in Baiyun District, Guangzhou on Friday evening. Police also recovered three guns, 21 cartridges and more than 500,000 yuan which was suspected to be part of the proceeds of the robbery.

All the suspects were from Baiyun District in Guangzhou, and their ages ranged from 27 to 31.

There were a few suspects still at large and police were searching for them, police said.

(Shenzhen Daily June 10, 2004)