Police have obtained new leads in the investigations into several Myanmar murder and dismembering cases in the state, said Penang police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi.

He said the information obtained from questioning 17 Myanmar men had led police to find the location of a body to solve the jigsaw of heads, arms, legs and torso of two victims found dumped in several places all over Bukit Mertajam.

"A suspect admitted to murdering the victims before dismembering them and one of the torsos was found in a canal in Jalan Kampung Permatang, Sungai Bakap, near here, two weeks ago.

"So far, police have only found two heads, hands, legs and a torso of the victims. Maybe one of the victim's body had drifted into the river or sea," he told reporters after launching a Police Community Programme, here, today.

On Nov 24, a package containing a human head was found in front of a shop in Taman Impian Ria, Bukit Mertajam, near here, and on Nov 27, a headless and armless torso was found in a sack by villagers in a canal in Sungai Bakap.

Last Monday, a head and a left arm were found in a plastic bag near a rubbish bin in Machang Bubok, near here.

Abdul Rahim also gave the public his assurance that the murder cases were not a threat to public order and safety as these only involved Myanmar nationals.

Meanwhile, he said the crime rate in Penang fell by 377 cases or 4.8 per cent from January until yesterday, compared to 7,854 cases during the same period last year.

He said the fall in crime rates was attributed to the cooperation of all parties, including members of the public, who came forward to provide information to the police.