A security guard who was looking for empty cans and bottles made a shocking discovery when he found a dead foetus in a garbage bin near a restaurant in Taman Perwira, Bukit Mertajam, yesterday.

The man, aged 36, found the foetus wrapped in a white-coloured pants at 8pm before alerting the police.

Seberang Perai Tengah district police chief, ACP Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abdul Hamid said the male foetus was believed to be at six months, based on its physical features.

"Police will obtain a closed-circuit television (CCTV) recording of the nearby area to trace the culprit," he said today.

The dead foetus was sent to Seberang Jaya Hospital.

Nik Ros Azhan urged members of the public with information about the incident to contact the nearest police station to facilitate the investigation.

The case is being investigated under Section 318 of the Penal Code.

- Bernama