Friend Shot In Batu Caves Hunting Trip But Body 'Planted' Near Bagan Serai, 300 Km Away

IPOH, Sept 30 (Bernama) -- Three men who accidentally shot their friend dead on a hunting trip in Batu Caves, Selangor, were caught red-handed tampering with his body when they ‘planted’ it 300 kilometres (km) away in Kampung Selamat, Semanggol near Bagan Serai, early yesterday morning.

Perak police chief Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin said the Kerian district police headquarters (IPD) received a call from the public at about 3.55 am informing them that the 43-year-old man had died at the (Semanggol) location.

“An initial examination showed three marks on the back of the victim’s body suspected to be gunshot wounds and the post-mortem will be conducted at Taiping Hospital tomorrow.

“Police arrested two men, aged 32 and 33, in Kampung Selamat, Semanggol at about 12.30 pm yesterday and one of the suspects is related to the victim,” he said in a statement today.

Noor Hisam said further investigations found that one of the suspects, along with two other men, shot the victim who was mistaken to be a game animal while hunting in Batu Caves, Selangor at about 8 pm on Sunday.

“After the incident, they conspired to take the victim’s body to Semanggol in a vehicle accompanied by two other vehicles, and the victim's body was abandoned on the side of an unpaved road to create a different story from the real (hunting) incident,” he said.

Noor Hisam said another 36-year-old suspect was arrested in Batu Caves at 8.30 pm yesterday.

He said police seized a Toyota Vellfire MPV and two Mazda and Toyota Hilux vehicles, two homemade rifle barrels and 11 12-bore bullets as well as four mobile phones.

“The three suspects have been remanded for a week starting today until Oct 6 to assist in the investigation being under Section 302 of the Penal Code (for murder). The police are actively tracking down another suspect believed to be involved in the case,” he also said.

Noor Hisam added that members of the public who have information about the incident can contact the head of the Kerian IPD Criminal Investigation Division ASP Ambri Mat Nayan at 012-5306567 or contact the Kerian IPD at 05-7215222.

-- BERNAMA