JOHOR BARU: Two men in their 30s have been arrested for the murder of a 33-year-old woman at Setia Indah here.

State police deputy chief Comm Datuk Mohd Kamarudin Md Din said the body was then stored in a box before being dumped at the side of the road at an industrial area in Jalan Setia 4/6, Taman Setia Indah.

"The victim was reported missing last Friday (June 7). She was last seen going out from her home in Taman Sri Putri, Skudai, on May 28 and last contacted by her family on May 29.

"The arrest was made by the state Serious Crimes division (D9) and Anti-Vice, Gambling and Secret Society division (D7) at a premises in Jalan Setia 10/3B, Taman Setia Indah," he said in a statement on Tuesday (June 11).

He added that initial investigations revealed that one the suspects had confessed to having murdered the victim and had asked for help from the other suspect to dump the body.

"The first suspect, a 35-year-old man who is also the victim's boyfriend, had admitted to the murder and had brought the police team to the location where he had dumped the body.

"The suspect and the deceased had been in a relationship for eight years and the victim was murdered due to jealousy," he added.

Comm Mohd Kamarudin explained that the victim was believed to have been hit by the suspect's hands and a rubber pipe, causing her death, while she was having a shower.

Her body was then covered with plastic canvas before being stored inside a box.

"When the body started to smell, the suspect decided to cover the body with ceiling plaster before calling the second suspect, a 32-year-old man, to help him dump the body," he said.

The body was taken to Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) for postmortem.

Both suspects tested positive for methamphetamine and also have criminal records.

Comm Mohd Kamarudin added that both suspects are currently under remand and the case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, which carries the death penalty upon conviction.