Man accidentally shoots wife, nabbed for firearms possession

TAIPING (Bernama): A ship captain who accidentally shot his wife while cleaning a firearm was arrested for possessing two rifles and two fake handguns and 160 rounds of ammunition at a house in Taman Desa Murni, Kamunting, near here Tuesday (Feb 4).

Taiping district police chief ACP Osman Mamat said the 40-year-old man was arrested at 1pm Tuesday.

"During the incident, the suspect was cleaning a gun with one round of ammunition and accidentally shot his wife, who is a Quran and Fardu Ain (KAFA) teacher in school, aged in her 30s," he said during a press conference at the district police headquarters here Wednesday (Feb 5).

He said police found two rifles, an automatic and a semi-automatic, with two magazines, one fake Glock Inc Smyrna Ga and one fake Pietro Beretta Gardone VT with two magazines.

Investigations revealed that the suspect, who works in Terengganu and has no criminal record, had been actively buying counterfeit weapons online over the past two years as a hobby.

"It was learned that the suspect had bought a rifle for RM2,000, and intended to buy an M16 rifle for RM18,000," he said, adding that the suspect was remanded for four days beginning Wednesday.

Meanwhile, he said police had also busted two groups known as "Hafiz Axia" and "Fikri 125Z" following the arrest of five men and a woman who were actively involved in vehicle thefts here.

He said three men and a woman, aged 23 to 33, from Hafiz Axia were arrested at 6.30pm on Jan 20.

"The group has been allegedly involved in vehicle thefts and eight cases of smashing car mirrors, involving losses of about RM150,000, around the city of Taiping since early last year," he said, adding that they had been remanded under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and Penal Code.

The other two men, from the Fikri 125Z group, were caught for alleged involvement in seven motorcycle theft cases in the district since December last year. - Bernama