MH17: PDRM special team returns to Ukraine to continue search of victims

Thirty members of the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) special team left for Ukraine Sunday night to continue the search for the remains of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH17.

The team who left at 11.45 p.m. Sunday include personnel from Vat 69 Commando Division, Forensics, Photo Division, Armoury, the Federal Reserve Unit and Public Relations Department.

It is led by Deputy Director of General Operations Force, Datuk Muhammad Fuad Zarim.

Acting Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Datuk Seri Fuzi Harun said the team was the first to go to Ukraine after previous teams returned to the country on Aug 12 due to the war there.

"In accordance with Resolution 2166 of the United Nations Security Council, Malaysia and Ukraine have reached an agreement to allow Malaysia to send Malaysian non-military staff and an international team to the crash site."

He was speaking at the sending-off ceremony of the special team held at KL International Airport (KLIA) here.

Also in the team is Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

The bilateral agreement allowed up to 90 non-military Malaysian personnel and an international team to go to the MH17 crash site.

Fuzi said another 50 would be sent soon.

The next team would comprise the same people who were sent to Ukraine in the earlier mission to find the remains of the victims.

"The mission is a response to the government's continuing commitment to find the remains of the MH17 victims shot down in east Ukraine on July 17."

MH17 which was carrying 298 passengers including the flight crew was on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was believed to have been shot down over east Ukraine on July 17.

Besides the 43 Malaysian passengers and crew, the other passengers comprised Dutch, Australian, Indonesian, British, German, Belgian, Philippine, Canadian and New Zealand nationals.