KOTA KINABALU: A plantation worker was found murdered at an estate in Sabah’s east coast Tawau district on Wednesday (July 19).
The 33-year-old victim was found dead with multiple stab wounds, believed to have been inflicted using an oil palm harvesting chisel, at about 11.30am.
Tawau OCPD Asst Comm Jasmin Hussin said they were alerted of the incident at the Merotai area at 12.27pm, adding a team was rushed to the location.
“As soon as our men arrived, they found the victim lying on the ground with five stab wounds including two on the head,” he said, in a press conference on Thursday (July 20).
“The police subsequently arrested two foreign men and a local woman at 12.30am on Thursday to help in the probe which has been classified under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder,” he added.
He said, however, only one of the detainees, a 53-year-old man, was further held and remanded under July 27 for further investigations, adding the rest were released.
ACP Jasmin said police had seized the victim’s motorcycle which was found in the suspect’s possession.
“We also seized a sharp weapon which was believed used in the incident. The motive of the killing is still under probe,” he said.
In an unrelated case, ACP Jasmin said Tawau police arrested four people including a woman and seized syabu worth some RM65,000 during two raids in the district on July 6.
The detainees, aged between 21 and 43, were believed to be drug dealers.
He said the first suspect, a local man aged 21, was detained in the town area, adding police found over 50g of syabu on him.
“He also tested positive for drugs,” he said, adding the remaining suspects, all foreigners, were roped in at Lorong Seraya, also in town.
“They were found with a packet of Chinese tea that contained over 1kg of syabu,” he said.
ACP Jasmin said they seized a car which police believed were used by the suspects to distribute the drugs as well as foreign currency worth over RM2,000.
The case will be investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, he added.
“Efforts are being made to track down the remnants of this drug network in Tawau,” he said.
