IPOH: What began as a suspected domestic murder has taken an unexpected turn, as Perak police now believe the case is connected to a major organised crime syndicate with international links.

Perak police chief Comm Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin confirmed that the death of a 57-year-old man at Taman Tasek Damai here on June 24, allegedly at the hands of his son, was not an isolated case, but part of a cross-border criminal network.

“This incident, while it occurred in Perak, is far more serious than initially believed, and thus the investigation is handed over to Bukit Aman’s criminal investigation department as it involves elements of organised crime.

“The 31-year-old suspect, the victim’s son, has been detained under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder,” he told reporters at a blood donation drive at the police officers’ mess hall here on Thursday (July 3)

On the day of the 8.26pm, June 24 incident, the victim was found lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen with a stab wound in the abdomen and slash injuries to the right side of the chest.

The suspect had claimed that when he returned home from work around 7.30pm, he found the front gate closed, but the grille and glass doors were open, and when he proceeded to the kitchen, he discovered the victim lying on his back in a pool of blood.

However, on June 26, Ipoh OCPD Asst Comm Abang Zainal Abidin Abang Ahmad had said that a post-mortem examination revealed that a gunshot wound was found on the left side of the chest of the victim.

Comm Noor Hisam added that the suspect’s statements to the police have been inconsistent and raised several red flags.

“At first, we assumed it was a local crime, but now we know it is part of something much bigger, possibly involving an international syndicate.

“There is a possibility that the victim and suspect themselves have links to organised crime,” he said.

He added that Bukit Aman is expected to involve Interpol and other international agencies as investigations continue.

“It is like a puzzle; we thought it was a single piece, but it turns out to be part of a much larger picture.

“The Perak police contingent will continue to support the federal team, but Bukit Aman is now leading the investigation due to its complexity and possible cross-border elements,” he added.

On a separate matter, Comm Noor Hisam said on the arrest warrant issued by a magistrate’s court in Teluk Intan for the owner of the lorry company involved in a fatal accident involving nine members of the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) on May 13, he said the enforcement action falls under the Road Transport Department.

He said the case is under the Road Transport Act 1987, and that the matter does not fall under the jurisdiction of the police

“Therefore, any enforcement actions, such as arrests, must be carried out by the department and not by the police.

“‘So even though the order was issued by the court, it is JPJ who is responsible for executing it, not the police,” he said.