KUCHING: Sarawak police arrested a fourth suspect in connection with an intimidation case against a customs officer who received two live bullets at his residence on Jalan Matang here last Thursday.
Sibu district police chief Stanley Jonathan Ringgit said the suspect was nabbed after he surrendered himself to the Sungai Merah police station in Sibu at 9.10am today.
He said the 35-year-old labourer will be brought to the Sibu Magistrates’ Court for a remand order tomorrow.
He will be investigated under Section 507 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation by anonymous communication, which is punishable with a seven-year sentence.
Three men, aged between 35 and 39, were picked up following a police report lodged by the officer after he received an envelope last Thursday with two bullets, together with a note saying: “There are two bullets. One long, one short. Which one do you want?”
The three suspects have been remanded for four days.
Customs Department director-general Abdul Latif Abdul Kadir said the death threat letter was believed to have been sent in connection with the officer’s involvement in operations carried out at the Rajang Port and Bintulu Port in Sarawak from Oct 21 to Nov 13.
He said that closed-circuit television camera recordings showed a man getting out of a car in front of the officer’s house before throwing something into the parking lot at around 7.15pm last Wednesday.
Latif said the officer had lodged a police report on the incident to ensure his safety and that of his family.
According to him, a similar note was previously found at the house of the officer’s front neighbour. He did not rule out the possibility that the note may also have been directed at the officer.
“The senior officer’s neighbour lodged a report and informed the customs officer about the incident,” he said.
The operations at the two ports led to the successful seizure of goods worth around RM2.64 million on which tax and duties estimated at RM655,301 had not been paid.