Police shot dead a criminal who was high on the wanted list for 12 serious crimes including the murder of former Alor Limbat state assemblyperson Alias Abdullah in 2015.

The suspect, Syukri Muhamad Abiah, 37, from Pasir Putih, Kelantan, died in a shoot-out with a police team at Felda Neram Satu in a raid at about 4.30am today.

According to state CID chief Fazlisyam Abd Majid, the man died at the scene after he was shot in the chest and head.

“The raid was conducted by a police team from the Bukit Aman criminal investigation team and the Kuala Terengganu police contingent headquarters on a half-completed house after the suspect was tracked down for three months.

“Police had to shoot in self-defence. A check on the man later found him unconscious and he died of gunshot wounds,” Fazlisyam said in a press conference held at the Kemaman district police headquarters today. Also present was Kemaman district police chief Mohd Said Ibrahim.

Police also found a Norinco semi-automatic gun, a bullet and a parang belonging to the suspect at the scene.

Fazlisyam said the suspect was high on the wanted list for investigations into murder and kidnapping cases in Terengganu, Kelantan and Pahang, and police believe with the shooting of the man, they have solved several murder cases in these states.

He added that police have also not discounted the possibility that the suspect who has a wife and three children, and had been arrested several times for violent crimes and imprisoned in 2001 for causing severe harm to his victims, had also been a paid assassin.

“We believe the suspect had many friends who helped hide him from the police,” he said.

- Bernama