KLIA shooting case suspect attempts to flee the country

KOTA BHARU, April 16 – The suspect who opened fire at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 Arrival Hall, early last Sunday morning, before being arrested in Kota Bharu yesterday, is believed to be trying to escape to a neighbouring country.

Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said it was based on the suspect’s frequent travel records abroad, besides having his passport as well as Riyal and Baht currencies with him.

Speaking at a media conference in the Kelantan police contingent headquarters on Tuesday, he said the police are also looking into the method used by the suspect to escape abroad.

“His travel records showed he made frequent trips abroad such as to Saudi Arabia and Thailand before entering Malaysia.

Mohd Shuhaily said initial investigations showed the suspect arrived in Kelantan on April 14 using the same car, namely a Honda Civic, but changed the car’s registration plate number to avoid his movements being detected.

He said before being arrested, the man was staying at a hotel in Kota Bharu.

“The suspect has four identity cards belonging to other people and one of the identity cards was used to register with the hotel,” he said.

He said the suspect used someone else’s identity card to avoid being identified by the public and detected by the authorities.

“But based on intelligence, the police managed to arrest the man near a private hospital at about 3 pm after a brief struggle,” he said.

He said the man went to the private hospital to collect his complete medical examination report which had been completed before his arrest.

“The suspect’s firearm is also believed to have been obtained illegally from a neighbouring country, how the suspect obtained it, we will investigate,” he said.

“After the suspect opened fire at KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport), the man did not go anywhere else or meet any individual to ask for help, but instead continued his journey to Kelantan,” he said.

He said a week before the shooting incident, the suspect had just returned from Saudi Arabia and then went to Bangkok, Thailand and entered the country through Kelantan.

Meanwhile, the police also seized a Glock 19 pistol, a magazine containing eight live bullets and a box containing 24 live bullets, a Honda Civic car, six mobile phones of various brands, a sum of Riyal and Baht foreign currencies and a passport .