Penang has been rocked by a series of gruesome murders over recent months, with the police recovering dismembered body parts and headless corpses.

Last night, the police have discovered a "slaughterhouse" at a kampung in Bukit Mertajam, and arrested two suspects.

The "slaughterhouse" is believed to be the site for the spate of killings involving Myanmar nationals, state police chief Abdul Rahim Hanafi said at a press conference today.

 

The two Myanmar nationals were arrested in their homes in Cherok To Kun, where police discovered a house, believed to be where the gruesome murders took place.

 

Abdul Rahim ( left ) said the suspects had been renting two houses in the village for several months.

 

“The butchering was carried out here and the chopped body parts were disposed of in other places. For example, a human head was found in front of a police station and another was found in Permai (in Bukit Mertajam),” he said.

 

Abdul Rahim said police have resolved eight of the cases thus far, adding that more arrests would be made in the next few days.

Penang police have so far detained 17 people, aged between 30 and 40, in connection with a series of 18 murders involving Myanmar nationals in Penang.

 

Among the recent murder cases was the discovery of a decapitated head near a coffeeshop in Taman Impian on Nov 24.

The head, believed to be that of a foreigner’s, was found in a plastic bag left under an open umbrella.

‘Problems from the old country’

The area is a colony for workers from Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Indonesia.

 

Abdul Rahim declined to confirm whether the detainees were undocumented migrants, saying even if they had documents, the papers could be fake.

 

“So far we have only found one group involved in the murders. These are problems brought over from their home country.

 

“They knew each other back in Myanmar, prior to their coming to this country,” he said.

 

At the press conference, Abdul Rahim urged Myanmar nationals in the country not to take the law into their own hands.

 

He also tried to allay the fears of the local residents by saying that police were at all times keeping watch on this matter to ensure their peace and safety.

 

“Do not be worried ( gusar ). These incidents will not affect the peace and safety of the local residents.

 

“The matter is under control as the police are always keeping watch and will act against the culprits accordingly. We urge the public to help us in our probe,” he added.

Meanwhile, according to Bernama, Bukit Aman will take over the case from the state contingent police headquarters, if needed.

 

“We are still monitoring the situation, and if the need arises, Bukit Aman will take over,” Deputy Police Chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim was quoted as saying.