JOHOR BARU: Police have identified the prime suspect involved in stabbing a 44-year-old man on Dec 17, in Taman Pelangi petrol station here.
Johor police chief Datuk Mohd Khalil Kader Mohd said the suspect, in his 20s, was among three people under police custody.
"We are finalising the investigation papers before submitting the report to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for case review," he said.
A total 14 people had been detained since the investigation into the case which has been classified as murder.
Their arrests had been made in Penang, Singapore and here.
However, 11 of them have since been released after police gave them the all-clear.
The case is believed to be motivated by unpaid debts owed by the victim to his assailants.
The victim died on the spot after his assailants deliberately drove over him twice with a BMW car before making their escape.
Khalil said the knife used in the stabbing the victim had yet to be found.
"We believe the knife had been disposed of somewhere along the Desaru to Kota Tinggi road," he said.
He said investigations revealed that the prime suspect and the two others in custody were believed to have also been actively involved in several snatch-theft cases in Kulai and Batu Pahat before.