18 remanded over probe into fatal border shooting incident

KANGAR:Eighteen men have been remanded to facilitate investigations into the shootout between the General Operations Force (GOF) members and groups of smugglers at the Malaysia-Thailand border near Padang Besar yesterday.

They comprise three Thais who have been remanded for seven days until Dec 1 and 15 local men who have been remanded for four days until Nov 28.

The remand order against them was issued by Kangar Magistrate Court assistant registrar Monica Joseph Gaisah.

All of them, aged between 19 and 37, were handcuffed when they were taken by the police to the remand room at 8.50 am.

A GOF member Corporal Baharuddin Ramli, 54, was killed, while his colleague, Corporal Norihan a/l Tari, 39, severely injured during the shootout with the smugglers about 600m from the Border Wall TS9 control post in Padang Besar early yesterday.

Meanwhile, Perlis Police chief Datuk Surina Saad, when contacted, said the 18 men were arrested just within three hours.

“The first arrests were made at 7 am, while the second arrests at 9.30 am yesterday,” she said.

Baharuddin died on the spot, while Norihan is currently being treated at the Tuanku Fauziah Hospital here.

The case is being investigated under Section 302/307 of the Penal Code.

-- BERNAMA