Ransom for the departed: Suspect wants payment for stolen urns

 

Last month, 15 urns vanished from a memorial park columbarium in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, leaving families shocked.

District police chief Johari Yahya said the culprits have already contacted management with a morbid business proposal: pay up, and the urns will be returned.

“Our investigations so far have shown that one suspect had contacted the management on WhatsApp using a foreign number, claiming he found the urns.

“However, he then demanded payment for the return of the urns,” Johari was quoted as saying by The Star.

He added that the case is being investigated under Section 380 of the Penal Code for theft in a building, Section 384 for extortion, and Section 297 for trespassing on burial places.

“Since this case involves elements of cross-border communication and the use of digital technology, we are seeking technical assistance from the relevant agencies,” he said.

He also advised the public not to speculate on the case.

This incident follows a similar report on March 9, when intruders allegedly broke into a memorial park in Kulai, Johor, and made off with more than 20 urns from a columbarium rack. - Mkini