T

he Batam, Rempang and Galang (Barelang) City Police have arrested four suspects believed to have murdered Malaysian citizen Amar Aswan, 29, at the BCC Hotel and Residence in Batam, Riau Islands, on April 24.

The four suspects, all Malaysian citizens, are colleagues of the victim, and one of them is a member of the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM).

Barelang City Police chief Sr. Comr. Asep Safrudin said on Tuesday that police had learned about the murder after receiving a report from security guards at the hotel.

Police received the report at 6:30 a.m. local time and based on statements and CCTV evidence, police gathered that the alleged perpetrators were the victim'€™s colleagues.

'€œWe arrested the suspected perpetrators three hours after we received the report. We caught them separately at two international ports as they were about to leave for Malaysia,'€ said Asep.

Police arrested Sarwanan Kuppusamy and Masyurizan bin Mardan, who were already on board the Berlian 3 ferry destined for Stulang Laut, Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The ferry had already left the Batam Center Port, so the police requested that the Water Police unit intercept the boat.

The two other suspects, Goh Song Chew and Kalitazan Meganathan, were apprehended at the Harbor Bay Port in Batu Ampar, Batam, as they were waiting for the Mutiara Mas 1 ferry, also bound for Stulang Laut.

Interrogation revealed that Masyurizan, 33, was a member of the PDRM with the rank of auxiliary police constable. The Barelang City Police have asked the PDRM for information on the four suspects, including any criminal records.

Amar Aswan was found dead on a trolley in room 1616, where he had been staying, with bruises on his body. Based on an autopsy, the victim had been gagged and his head had sustained serious impact.

'€œWe are still investigating the motives behind the killing. According to the suspects, the victim was involved in a quarrel with them in a night spot and hit one of them. They could not tolerate this, and after the victim returned to his hotel, they assaulted him. But we will find out whether there were other motives, such as links to drug-trafficking,'€ said Asep.

Police will charge the four with violating articles 339 and 340 of the Criminal Code on premeditated murder, which carries a sentence of between 20 years and life in prison.

In March last year, the Batam District Court sentenced two Malaysians and a Singaporean to death for smuggling 168,987 ecstasy pills. Malaysians Mohammad Sollehudin bin Anuar and Azmee bin Johari and Singaporean Ong Beng Song alias Ong alias Edy smuggled the drugs from Malaysia into Indonesia via Batam.

The previous month, the Medan District Court in North Sumatra sentenced Lance Cpl. Salim bin Muhammad Yusof, a Malaysian Police officer, to four years in prison for smuggling 0.5 grams of crystal methamphetamine (shabu-shabu) through Polonia International Airport.