Police confirms discovery of human remains believed to be a Malaysian

KUALA LUMPUR - The police have confirmed a local media report on the death of a man believed to be a Malaysian in Australia.

Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the Australian authorities found human remains in New South Wales on Sunday which was believed to have been killed more than a year ago.

“Checks have shown that the victim was a 25-year-old Malaysian from Sarawak," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Ayob said the victim was believed to have entered Australia in November 2016 using a tourist visa and was offered a job as a farm worker by a foreign syndicate suspected to be involved in drugs.

"The investigation is still ongoing by the Australian authorities, any progress of the investigation will be notified to the police for further action," he said.

Ayob urged all parties to refrain from making speculations to avoid any confusion among the public.

On Monday (April 4), it was reported that the Australian police found a body of a man who was believed to be a Malaysian in Bathurst, New South Wales.

The body was found at about 3.30pm after investigators began a search in a rural area in Killongbutta.

The victim was believed to have been brutally murdered between Dec 25, 2020 and Jan 8, last year, following a misunderstanding with a drug cartel where he worked as the ‘keeper’ of about 1,000 cannabis plants.

The 9news portal reported that the authorities have informed that forensic examination will be conducted on the body and identification process through the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test will also be conducted to confirm his identity.

Last year, a police task force investigating a drug syndicate case found that the Malaysian could not be traced.

The Daily Mail reported that three men aged 33, 22 and 28 were charged in March related to the death of the man.

He lived in Sydney since 2016, but had not contacted his family since Dec 28, 2020.