BINTULU (July 4): Police have arrested eight Indonesian workers to assist in the investigation into the murder of their fellow countryman at an oil palm plantation in Sebauh district yesterday.
Bintulu police chief Supt Zulkipli Suhaili said all of the suspects which consist of five men and three women aged between 25 and 43 were detained in separate operations in the estate between 12.15am and 1am today.
“Now the police are still hunting down the main suspect, an Indonesian man identified as ‘Kalippu’ in his early 30s, to assist in the investigation,” he said in a statement.
According to Zulkipli, the police received information on the death of a foreign man in the workers’ quarters from a 42-year-old estate manager at around 10pm on July 6.
A police team from the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of IPD Bintulu was then deployed to the scene. However. the victim had died when they arrived.
“Initial investigation found that at around 8pm, an eye witness at the scene saw the victim and suspect were talking before the victim smashed the mirror and destroyed the residents’ chicken coop.
“The suspect then chased the victim who entered a house and not long after that, the suspect was seen fleeing the scene, while the victim was found lying on the floor with wounds on his left waist,” he added.
The case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
Meanwhile, Zulkipli urged anyone who has information about the suspect’s whereabouts to call the police station at 086-318304 or CID Bintulu chief ASP Mohd Razif Mohd Yusuf at 012-5860586 or investigating officer at 019-6369984.