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IGP: Corporal Baharuddin to receive full police honours at funeral

KUALA LUMPUR: Corporal Baharuddin Ramli who was killed during an encounter with a group of smugglers at the Malaysia-Thai border here yesterday, will be laid to rest with full police honours in Bahau, Negri Sembilan.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador said the 54-year-old deserved the honour for the bravery displayed while engaging with the ketum and cough syrup smugglers in the incident near Pos 9 checkpoint about 3am.

He said Baharuddin, who served the force, including in the VAT 69 Commando, for 35 years, was attached with the 3rd Batalion General Operations Force (GOF). He was on patrol rounds with Corporal Norihan Tari, 39, when they spotted the group of smugglers.

"There was an exchange of fire between the smugglers and the two, before he succumbed to three gun shot wounds at the scene.

"Norihan, who was also shot thrice, however managed to get back to the checkpoint to alert for back up.

"Upon arriving at the checkpoint, the injured Norihan only managed to sound the horn and briefly related the attack to one of them (someone else at the checkpoint), before he too fell unconscious," he said.

Baharuruddin and Norihan were both using Walter P.99 pistol which only has a 10 bullet capacity.

Hamid said the officer in charge at Pos 9 immediately gathered five personnel and quickly returned to the scene for Baharuddin.

"Checks on his weapons also showed that he had ran out of bullets during the attack. Norihan also was faced with the same situation, but he managed to get out and get help.

"The fact that these two men had also returned fire and ran out of bullets shows he fought back until his last breath, trying to protect the border from the group, and this must be praised," he said.

Hamid also added that shots fired by the two had also struck at least three of the smugglers.

Hamid said as of now, police have yet to identify the type and make of the weapons used by the smugglers, but he has instructed for a full investigation on the attack.

He said a Bukit Aman forencis team has been dispatched to the scene.

Hamid said so far, six suspects have been apprehended, three in the Malaysian side and the rest in Thailand, and the latter included those who were receiving hospital treatment for gunshot wounds at the Songkhla and Hatyai Hospitals.

Hamid added that the team scouting the area after the attack managed to arrest two of the smugglers, who were hiding in the undergrowth with bags of ketum leaves and cough syrup.

"We believe the ketum leaves and cough syrup were intended to be smuggled into Thailand, in a barter trade for drugs such as syabu and Yaba pills.

"The suspects we arrested on our side of the border have admitted to being part of the 13-men smuggling group, which was involved in the shootout. The third suspect, who was hiding nearby, was detained by the Senoi Praaq personnel," he said.

He said earlier, the duo had parked their motorcycles near a rat lane and walked passed a stream towards the Thailand-Malaysia border wall, when suddenly they noticed the intruders.

He said the police will assist Norihan, who is now admitted at the hospital and due for an operation to remove three bullets in Alor Star.

"On the way back from Padang Besar, I also dropped by to check on Norihan's condition. One of the three bullets had penetrated the intestines and must be operated upon."

Hamid revealed that the shooting was not the first such incident to have occured in the same area this month.

"This shooting is not the first. This month alone, there had been two other incidents, on Nov 12 and 15. But fortunately, our men were not injured in both instances." he said.

Police are also looking for another seven suspects from the smuggling group.

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