Police nab suspect in connection with a murder in Teluk Batik
LUMUT: Police detained a suspect in connection with the murder of a man who was found dead in a drain at Teluk Batik, here, early this morning.
Manjung police chief ACP Muhammad Hanif Othman said the suspect, in his 40's, was picked up from his house in Seri Manjung at about 12.10am this morning before he took police to the location where the victim's body was dumped.
He said police received a missing persons report from a family member at about 11pm yesterday after failing to contact the victim, in his late 20's, who was supposed to meet a friend in Teluk Batik.
"Initially the victim's relative sought the help of his friends to find him before stumbling upon the victim's car at a parking lot in Teluk Batik at about 11am yesterday. The relative later went to Teluk Batik to find the victim and while calling the victim's phone he heard the phone ring at a nearby shop," he told reporters at the Manjung police headquarters here today.
Muhammad Hanif said the victim's relative was told by several traders that the victim was allegedly beaten up by the suspect who had a stall in the area before taking him away in a Nissan Frontier four-wheel drive.
"The relative later found several red spots, believed to be blood stains, and a pair of shoes that belonged to the victim, in a drain in the area before lodging a police report," he said.
Muhammad Hanif said following the report, police managed to track down the suspect who took police to the spot he had dumped the victim's body at about 1am this morning.
"We suspect the murder was due to the victim attempting to recover a debt from the suspect which could have led to an argument but investigations are still being carried out," he said.
Police also found a 58cm long wooden club in a bush behind the suspect's mother's house, believed to have been used to beat up the victim.
"The suspect was remanded for seven days starting today and investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder," he said and added the victim's body had been sent to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital for postmortem. — Bernama