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A SWIFT inter-agency operation has led to the arrest of a local septuagenarian in connection with the horrific murder of a woman in her 40s, whose body was found severed into seven parts.
The suspect was intercepted in the state capital at approximately 5 pm, less than twenty-four hours after a refuse collector stumbled upon the first of the remains.
Detectives from the Kota Kinabalu District Police Criminal Investigation Division, supported by technical units from Bukit Aman and local patrol teams, tracked the suspect after crucial forensic leads emerged during the recovery of the victim's head and torso.
Preliminary findings suggests the violence was fuelled by intense jealousy, which escalated into a lethal physical confrontation between the pair.
Acting Kota Kinabalu District Police Chief, Superintendent Syed Lot Syed Ab Rahman, confirmed the breakthrough in the investigation.
He stated that a local male suspect in his 70s has been tracked down and detained, noting that the motive is believed to be jealousy.
He added that with the arrest of this primary suspect, the case is considered resolved.
Despite the arrest, the Superintendent clarified that the investigation remains active and is being treated as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
The suspect has been moved to a medical facility for a health assessment prior to the formal remand process.
The grim sequence of events began at 6.30 am when a sanitary worker discovered human limbs near a car park adjacent to a local supermarket.
This sparked a wider search involving police and waste management personnel. By 11.40 am, the search yielded the victim’s head and torso at a secondary waste disposal site near the Bataras Indah Permai supermarket.
While the primary suspect is in custody, authorities noted that two body parts remained missing as of midday, prompting continued search efforts in the Indah Permai vicinity.
Son of Primary Suspect Arrested
In a new development, police have widened their net in the investigation into the brutal slaying by detaining the son of the primary suspect as the motive of jealousy continues to anchor the probe.
The investigation into the gruesome dismemberment of a woman in her 40s has taken a fresh turn with the arrest of a man in his 20s.
The suspect, identified as the son of the 70-year-old primary suspect apprehended earlier, was taken into custody at a residence in Sepanggar at 11 pm yesterday.
The late-night operation was a coordinated effort involving the Kota Kinabalu District Police Criminal Investigation Department, federal officers from Bukit Aman, and technical specialists from the Sabah Police Headquarters and Luyang Police Station.
The arrest comes in the wake of the father's detention just hours earlier, which followed the shocking discovery of human remains scattered across Taman Indah Permai.
Acting Kota Kinabalu District Police Chief, Superintendent Syed Lot Syed Ab Rahman, confirmed the latest developments in the case.
He stated that the second suspect has been detained to assist in the investigation, which is being conducted under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
While the Superintendent remarked that the case is considered resolved with both suspects in custody, he emphasized that further investigations are still actively proceeding. - February 13, 2026