Search and rescue personnel found some human bone fragments while looking for two victims that were buried in a rockslide at a quarry in Keramat Pulai, Simpang Pulai.
IPOH: The process of identifying the skeletal remains found under the rubble of a quarry rockfall in Keramat Pulai using DNA is still ongoing, says Comm Datuk Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri.
The Perak police chief said police have completed their investigations and are currently waiting for the Raja Permaisuri Bainun hospital (HRPB) forensic department to complete the process.
“We were informed that the hospital has contacted the siblings of one of the alleged two victims for DNA samples.
“The siblings are currently residing in Switzerland, so the hospital over there will be liaising with the HRPB forensic unit,” he said during a press conference held at Perak police headquarters here on Friday (Sept 30).
Comm Mohd Yusri added that the sample has been taken by the hospital in Switzerland.
“Right now, we are waiting for the forensic result. It might take some time because there are a lot of procedures and chemicals used,” he said.
Perak Fire and Rescue Department director Azmi Osman on Sept 20 said the remains were found after a six-month search and rescue operation.
On March 8 during the 9.15am incident, two victims, Kheow Loo Siew Soon, 49, and Itam Lasoh, 43 were buried under the rubble, while two more victims, Mohd Razli Suhaimi, 35, suffered a broken leg while Pan Tam, 38, sustained light injuries.
Separately, Comm Mohd Yusri announced that police have arrested 408 people during a three-day drug operation held in several places in Perak from Sept 26 until Sept 28.
“We arrested 390 men and 18 women aged between 16 and 63 for various drug offences. Of the total, three were foreigners from Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand.
“Four of them are underaged, between 16 and 18 years old. Two of them, aged 16 and 17, are school dropouts, and the remaining two were 18-year-old and unemployed,” he said.
He added that the operations were conducted at Felda, private estates, Housing for the Hardcore Poor (PPRT), fishing jetties, and more.
“During the operation, we seized more than five kilogrammes of heroin, 29.9kg of ketum leaves, 117.45 litres of ketum water, 0.13kg of methamphetamine, Erimin 5 and Yaba pills, and more. The value of the drugs is estimated at RM194,091.
“We also confiscated two cars, four motorcycles, and cash totalling more than RM64,000,” he said.
