Malaysia Crime Watch

29 February 2008
Kuala Lumpur

Local college students were found to be international drug couriers for a foreign drug syndicate when federal narcotics officers arrested five suspects and seized RM1.7 million worth of heroin.

Narcotics officers raided an apartment in Damansara Perdana on Tuesday at 7:30pm after monitoring the syndicate’s operations for a month. Four men from West Africa aged between 30 and 40 years and a local 48-year-old woman. The suspects were packing heroin into sachets when the officers entered the premises.

In addition to 3.1kg of heroin and 126 heroin sachets seized, authorities also took a Suzuki Vitara vehicle and US$500.

The syndicate has been luring students with high payouts of between US$5,000 and US$11,000 but later forced them to smuggle drugs to Asian countries by hiding them in their anus or swallowing drug packets. The couriers would typically bring the drugs to Australia, China, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Japan, and Trinidad and Tobago.

It is believed that the woman recruited students at colleges and cafes while the men hired couriers online. The foreign suspects had entered the country using student visas.

The Star Online – Int’l drug courier syndicate busted
<URL:http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/2/29/nation/20080229165155&sec=nation>

Technorati Tags: malaysia crime, malaysia, crime, kuala lumpur, damansara perdana, drug, syndicate, heroin, drug courier

28 February 2008
Shah Alam

Forensic consultant Dr Mohd Shah Mahmood from the Kuala Lumpur Hospital continued his testimony in the High Court trial of the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu yesterday, indicating that the Mongolian woman might have been naked when she was blown up at the crime scene near Puncak Alam and Puncak Perdana.

He said this because there were no traces of fibre found when he went to inspect the area twice in November 2006. He had went there twice because he told investigating officer Assistant Superintendent Tonny Lunggan that the bone fragments that Dr Mohd Shah recovered at the site during his first visit was inadequate to form a complete human skeleton.

Lunggan had given Dr Mohd Shah 34 packets of bone fragments at the mortuary of the Forensic Department, which Dr Mohd Shah used to piece together and carry out examinations, with the assistance of forensic anthropologist Dr Nurliza Abdullah. The bone fragments were then handed over to the Chemistry Department.

He said that even after the second examination on 9 November 2006, the bone fragments were not enough to form a complete human skeleton.

The trial continues tomorrow.

The Star Online – Doc: No traces of fibre found
<URL:http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/2/28/courts/20478263&sec=courts>

MCW – Altantuya Murder Trial: 388 Bone Fragments Found
<URL:http://malaysiacrimewatch.lokety.com/altantuya-murder-trial-388-bone/>

Technorati Tags: malaysia crime, malaysia, crime, shah alam, murder, trial, death, altantuya, shaariibuu, altantuya shaariibuu, abdul razak baginda, baginda, azilah hadri, sirul azhar, forensic, mohd shah mahmood, crime scene, bone fragment, naked, tonny lunggan, human skeleton, nurliza abdullah

28 February 2008
Shah Alam

Three community college students who were all deaf and mute were charged yesterday with raping their 20-year-old classmate in her rented apartment in Selayang Heights, Selayang Baru, Gombak, on 14 February 2008 between 3pm and 4pm. The woman is also deaf and mute.

Mohd Anwar Iswah, Mohd Saiful Izzuan Ahmad Saidi and Muhammad Aizad Ariffin, all 21 years old, claimed trial to the charge. If found guilty, the students face 30 years’ jail and whipping.

Bail was set at RM8,000 for the three accused and 13 March 2008 has been set for mention for their cases.

New Straits Times – 3 deaf-mute students face rape charges
<URL:http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/National/2171746/Article/index_html>

Technorati Tags: malaysia crime, malaysia, crime, shah alam, selayang heights, selayang baru, gombak, deaf and mute, rape, college student