Police officer found shot dead

A police officer was found shot dead after he pursued two men armed with home-made shotguns.

The victim, Corporal Abdul Halim Mat Ali, 48, was found dead with traces of gunshot injury on his face and chest at the Pahang Agricultural Development Authority plantation near Jaya Gading, here today.

Pahang Police Chief, Datuk Sharifuddin Ab Ghani, said the victim's body was found by estate workers at about 9am today.

"In the incident which occurred at 6pm yesterday, the victim and three others were on their crime-prevention rounds in the area and came upon the two suspects who were on a motorcycle.

The four police officers who were from the Jaya Gading station then split up and gave chase.

"Later, when the victim could not be contacted, efforts were made by the Kuantan police to search for him," he said.

He added that the police found one of the two shotguns belonging to the suspects left near the victim's motorcycle.

"The victim was from Malacca and his body had been sent to the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital in Kuantan, for an autopsy," he said.

Sharifuddin said the motive of the incident and the suspects were still being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

He added that the police were searching for the two suspects, adding that any member of the public who had any information should contact the police.