Bangladeshi arrested after body of fellow countryman found in drain

BUKIT MERTAJAM: A stinking smell emanating from a drain at a garment factory in Taman Perindustrian Beringin led police to a gruesome discovery on Thursday (Feb 4).

Central Seberang Prai OCPD Asst Comm Shafee Abd Samad said the decomposed body of a 29-year-old Bangladeshi man was found hidden in the drain at about 1.30pm.

"The body was found by the sales manager of the factory after he smelled a bad odour at the factory warehouse.

"He also noticed maggots crawling out from the drain where the body was hidden," ACP Shafee said in a statement on Friday (Feb 5).

ACP Shafee said the Bangladeshi worked at the factory and had been absent from work since Jan 15 this year, adding that no police report was made over his absence.

He said the factory, which produces school uniforms and other clothing material, has two Bangladeshi workers including the deceased.

He said an investigation at the scene found a knife, a steel hammer and an 0.8m steel rod that had stains believed to be blood located 2m from the body of the deceased.

He said the police also found blood stains at the upper premises of the factory which were used as an office and accommodation for the workers.

He added that initial findings by the forensics unit at the scene found that the victim's injuries were caused by a blunt object.

After interviewing three witnesses, police detained a 21-year-old Bangladeshi national at another factory belonging to the company in Simpang Ampat.

"The suspect admitted killing the victim with a steel rod and acted alone in the crime," he said, adding that the suspect has no prior record.

The victim's body has been sent to Seberang Jaya Hospital for post-mortem.