A 42-year-old man was allegedly kidnapped, tortured and murdered following a personal dispute before his body was buried in Semenyih, Kajang, with five suspects still at large.
Selangor Police Chief Datuk Shazeli Kahar said the victim was abducted by several individuals in a car at Ampang Waterfront between 4am and 4.30am on Sept 24.
His wife subsequently lodged a police report over his disappearance, prompting police to launch search and intelligence operations that led to the arrest of 15 people suspected of involvement in three separate criminal cases, including kidnapping, murder and firearms-related offences.
Shazeli said the investigation led police to a location in Semenyih on Sept 27, where the victim was believed to have been killed and buried.
“The operation led to a series of initial arrests. On Sept 27, the police were taken to a location around Semenyih, Kajang, which was where the victim was killed and buried,” he said at a press conference at the Selangor Police Contingent Headquarters on Wednesday.
The victim, a self-employed local man, was known to the suspects. Investigations indicated that the killing stemmed from a disagreement between him and a suspect believed to be involved in gangsterism.
Police believe the victim was held at another residential property before he was killed, although investigators have yet to establish the exact time of the murder.
An autopsy found that he died from multiple sharp-force injuries to the neck. Shazeli said other injuries on the body also suggested that the victim had been tortured.
The operation, conducted by the Selangor Criminal Investigation Department in collaboration with the Ampang and Kajang district police headquarters between Sept 24 and 27, resulted in the arrest of 15 suspects — 12 local men, one local woman and two foreign men aged between 20 and 48.
Police checks also found that some of those arrested had previous criminal records and records involving drug-related offences. Investigators seized two rifle barrels, a Proton Wira and a hoe believed to have been used to bury the victim. No ransom was received in the case, Shazeli said.
Several suspects have since been charged in court. Three face kidnapping charges under Section 365 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34. Two others face murder charges under Section 302, read together with Section 34, while three more are charged with abetting murder under Section 109, read together with Section 302.
In connection with the firearms-related offences, three suspects were charged under Section 8(a) of the Arms Act 1960, read together with Section 36(1) of the same Act. Two foreign suspects also face charges under Sections 6(1)(c) and 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Shazeli said some of the other individuals involved would be used as prosecution witnesses, while five suspects remain at large. Police believe the wanted individuals are still in Malaysia and will release further details to assist in tracking them down.
He urged members of the public to report suspicious activities, particularly those involving security threats or firearms.
