Sirul transferred to Sydney detention centre, says ABC report

Sirul Azhar Umar

PETALING JAYA: Former police commando Sirul Azhar Umar (pic) has reportedly been transferred to prison in Sydney despite several earlier reports stating he had been released by Australian authorities.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported Friday night that Sirul, 43, had been transferred to the maximum security section of the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre in Sydney.

Sirul, who together with former colleague Azilah Hadri was convicted and sentenced to death last week for the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, was detained on Tuesday by Australian immigration officials after an Interpol red notice was issued.

According to ABC, the former commando was living with family members west of Brisbane when he was detained.

It is believed that Sirul had been living with his 19-year-old son, identified as Shuk Sz who made several Facebook postings recently, and another relative in Ipswich, Queensland, for several months, after entering the country using a valid passport and visa last year.

Several local media, quoting Wisma Putra sources, reported on Friday that Sirul had been released. However, there was no official confirmation of the purported release by Australian authorities or Malaysian police.

Sirul’s lawyer Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin has stated that he will challenge any move to extradite his client from Australia.

The Australian Attorney-General’s department would not comment on whether they had received an official extradition request from Malaysia.

A statement from the department, however, said: “Australia's extradition legislation does not allow a person to be surrendered to another country for an offence punishable by death unless the country has given Australia an undertaking that the death penalty will not be carried out on the person.”