SIK: Police have detained a 65-year-old man to assist in an investigation into the shooting of a Special Branch policeman during an operation near Compartment 124 of the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve today.
District police chief Deputy Superintendent Abdull Razak Osman said the suspect was taken into custody at 2pm today upon surrendering at the district police headquarters.
He said the case was being probed under Section 304 of the Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Razak said police would apply for a remand order tomorrow to detain the suspect for further investigation.
He said police received information about the incident at 10am that the 39-year-old victim was shot while conducting an operation to probe trespassing and illegal hunting in the forest reserve.
"On Tuesday, a team from the state and Sik police headquarters Special Branch, along with state Forestry Department personnel and aided by civilians, entered the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve area to investigate trespassing and illegal hunting in the area.
"They all stayed overnight at Compartment 103. Yesterday, about 3pm, the victim along with two civilians reportedly moved to Compartment 124 within the forest reserve area, using a public vehicle for observation and investigation purposes.
"However, until 6.30pm yesterday, they had not returned to camp in Compartment 103," he told reporters at the district police headquarters.
Razak said efforts to locate them were then undertaken by other team members but they only found the vehicle they used at the junction between compartments 124 and 125.
He said the victim and the two civilians were believed to have gotten lost in the darkness.
At 2am, he added, members of the team heard a gunshot and the victim was later found with a wound in front part of his body.
"The victim was then brought back to Compartment 103 before being taken to Sik Hospital. However, he was confirmed dead at the hospital."
Razak advised the public not to speculate on the case as police were still conducting investigations.