KLIA shooting suspect planned to flee to Mecca - cops

 

The police have not ruled out the possibility that the suspect in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) shooting intended to flee to Mecca, Saudi Arabia via the Kelantan-Thailand border.

Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation director Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain today said Hafizul Hawari could have been planning to hide in a neighbouring country after the authorities launched a hunt for him.

Shuhaily said the police were unsure of the details of the man’s plan to escape the country, however, they had found a sum of foreign money and a passport that was in his possession.

“It is true that he often goes abroad, (therefore) I do not deny the possibility (of his wanting to go to Mecca),” he said during a press conference at the Kelantan Police Contingent Headquarters in Kota Bharu.

Hafizul, 38, was arrested by the authorities in Kota Bharu yesterday after being on the run for attempting to shoot his wife at KLIA Terminal 1 on early Sunday.

However, a bullet hit one of the woman’s two bodyguards.

Hafizul then fled the airport, prompting police to launch a manhunt - with his details issued in a wanted poster.

The police said they did not engage the shooter so as not to endanger bystanders at KLIA.

Health test report

Shuhaily said the man was arrested after he tried to collect a health test report from a private hospital in Kota Bharu.

Hafizul was also found to be staying at a hotel near the hospital, he added.

After the incident at KLIA, the suspect travelled to Kelantan in a Honda Civic bearing a fake registration number to avoid being detected by the authorities.

“The police received information that the suspect was staying at a hotel in Kota Bharu.

“Surveillance was carried out until it led to his arrest in front of a private hospital.

“The suspect at that time had wanted to pick up a health test report from the hospital,” he said.

Suspect acted alone

Following the arrest, Shuhaily said the police seized a Glock 19 pistol with eight live rounds in addition to an ammunition box with 24 live cartridges and six mobile phones.

The police also found and confiscated the suspect’s passport along with firecrackers, cash in the form of Thai baht and Saudi Arabian riyals, three car keys, a wristwatch and four identity cards belonging to other people.

Based on preliminary investigations, the police found that the suspect was a hafiz (a Muslim who knows the Quran by heart) and had studied at a lodge in Repek, Pasir Mas, Shuhaily added.

When asked about the motive for the attack, Shuhaily said the police believed it was about personal issues between the suspect and his wife.

“For now there is no other motive,” he said.

Shuhaily said the police were also confident the suspect was acting alone and was not scheming with other persons.

He said the suspect would be sent back to Selangor for the state police to resolve the case, which is being investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder.

“The police will also call back witnesses to assist in the investigation before the case is brought to the prosecution,” he added.