Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian police on Monday shot dead three Indonesian men believed to be part of a gang responsible for more than 50 armed robberies in several states, a top police officer said.

The robbers targeted homes of politicians and high-profile corporate figures, and were believed to have hit at least 50 homes in seven states, said central Selangor state police chief Khalid Abu Bakar.

The three, including the alleged gang leader, were killed during a pre-dawn gun fight in the southern state of Johor, he said.

"The leader and his two accomplices, aged 27 and 30, were shot dead in the exchange of fire while two more suspects escaped," Khalid was quoted as saying by Star online news.

"The gang has been active for about two years and has raped and seriously injured victims in at least 50 known cases committed by them nationwide," he said.

Khalid said police seized a home-made revolver, six live bullets and a sickle from the men's car, adding that further checks revealed that the gang members had valid travel documents.

They were believed to have been travelling back to Indonesia several times a year, where they would allegedly sell their stolen goods. (dpa)