Penang police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi - File pix
GEORGE TOWN: Police here believe that there are two groups of Myanmar nationals involved in the recent spate of grisly murders of their countrymen in Penang.
Penang police chief Senior Deputy Comm Abdul Rahim Hanafi said that most members of the first group have been rounded up, solving a significant number of cases on the mainland.
"Based on our investigations, we are certain that there is another group involved in the murders on the island,” he said on Thursday.
"We have yet to make any arrests for the second group but we are confident in nabbing them soon," he told reporters after the monthly police gathering at the state police contingent headquarters in Penang Road here.
SDCP Abdul Rahim, however, denied both groups were acquaintances.
Last week, police picked up another two suspects, in their 30s, on Penang island, taking the total number of suspects detained over the murders to 17.
Fifteen Myanmar nationals, in their 20s to 40s, including the mastermind, had been picked up over the past two weeks in a police operation codenamed Ops Kelar, in connection with the murder of their fellow countrymen.
Following the arrest of the 17, police believe they have solved the murder cases involving eight of the victims.
It was reported that on Nov 24, a package containing a human head was found in front of a restaurant at Taman Impian Ria, Bukit Mertajam.
Other discoveries of human parts such as a headless torso, a hand and a left arm had been made recently.
It was also reported that there were 51 murders in the state this year, of which 18 victims were Malaysians and 33 foreigners.
