JOHOR BARU: Police arrested a 65-year-old foreigner yesterday, believed to be linked to the brazen killing of a debt collector who was gunned down in broad daylight outside a restaurant in Taman Setia Indah here six months ago.

The victim, a 40-year-old man, was shot at close range by a motorcycle-riding gunman in front of patrons at the eatery.

He sustained four gunshot wounds, with a post-mortem confirming a fatal shot to the chest.

Johor Baru (South) police chief Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat confirmed the foreigner was arrested at 4.30pm in the city centre.

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He said police obtained a remand order to keep the foreigner in custody until July 22 to facilitate investigations.

However, Raub remained tight-lipped on the possible link with the gang-style assassination of the debt collector, citing ongoing investigations.

The murder bore the hallmarks of a gang hit, believed to have stemmed from a revenge attack linked to a turf war between rival secret societies.

The victim, known as Boss Kapoh, was believed to have ties to a secret society known as Ngo Seik Kee, or the 5 Colour gang.

He received a grand funeral, held in four air-conditioned halls at a memorial park here.

The ceremony was attended by more than 1,500 mourners dressed in black, with banners listing him as an important member of Persatuan Penganut Agama Kuang Sheng.

Following the shooting, a special task force including detectives from Bukit Amans Anti-Vice, Gambling, and Secret Societies Division (D7) was activated.

In the early hours of March 8, members of the task force shot dead a 64-year-old suspect during a shootout with police in Taman Molek.

A Smith & Wesson pistol, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia were recovered at the scene.

Subsequent raids along Jalan Ah Siang and Jalan Bukit Meldrum led to the arrests of nine suspects, aged between 36 and 66, and the seizure of a Sig Sauer semi-automatic pistol, additional bullets, heroin, and an air pistol.

Johor police chief Datuk M. Kumar confirmed that ballistic tests established that the bullets found at the Taman Setia Indah crime scene matched one of the seized firearms.

However, the suspects were later released on police bail following instructions from the deputy public prosecutors office.

It is learnt that police believe the mastermind and gunman remain at large as investigations continue.