Snail foraging turns tragic as man, 32, found dead in Bau river; Sarawak cops rule out foul play
KUCHING, June 29 — The body of a 32-year-old man was discovered yesterday evening after he failed to return home from foraging for river snails at Kampung Skibang river in Bau.
Bau district police chief DSP Dr Daram Ruer said the victim had left home at around 10am, but by 7pm, he still had not returned.
'The villagers went out searching for the victim and found him face down in the river,' he said in a statement today.
Paramedics who arrived at the scene pronounced the man dead.
The body was later brought to Bau Hospital.
Dr Daram confirmed that no criminal elements were found in the case, which has been classified as sudden death. — The Borneo Post
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
31 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
‘Ikan bilis' charged, ‘sharks' walk free: Businessman cries foul in Sabah graft case
KOTA KINABALU, June 30 — Datuk Albert Tei Jiann Cheing, the businessman at the centre of a high-profile Sabah mining licence corruption case, today claimed he was being used as a political scapegoat for exposing top-level wrongdoing, including allegations involving the state chief minister. The 37-year-old who is based in Selangor said it was shameful that he was the one in the dock while the real culprits remain free. 'I'm just an ikan bilis, but I've been caught and charged. What about the sharks?' he told reporters after being charged in court with offering bribes to two Sabah assemblymen this morning. He claimed there were seven other politicians involved apart from the two charged alongside him in court today – Assistant Minister of Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Datuk Andi Suryandy Bandy who represents Tanjung Batu, and Sindumin assemblyman Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob who is also Qhazanah Sabah Bhd chairman. Tei also claimed to have provided evidence to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to support his allegations since last October. He questioned the lengthy delay – eight months – for the charges to be filed. He also described himself as a whistleblower, and said it set a dangerous message. 'When we challenge the powerful, even the whistleblower gets dragged to court. Who will dare come forward next?' Tei claimed the treatment of his case has been irregular, saying that he received only two weeks' notice before being charged, contrary to the standard MACC practice. 'Who am I? Just a small fry. Why the special two-week wait? What were they discussing behind closed doors?' he asked. He alleged that the prosecution against him was a calculated move to silence him. 'I want to say this. I know what they're thinking. They want to pressure and burden me, so that investigations won't proceed. So that I'll stay silent. I know what their game is. 'Today you charge two people. I will get bail. Tomorrow, another two more, and I will pay bail... you will continue to line them up... is this right?' he said. Tei also claimed to be targeted. 'If anything untoward happens to me after this, if I'm killed, kidnapped, or go missing, look for those 10 people. 'I have no enemies, except those 10,' he said. Tei had previously named politicians in a series of videos that circulated online. But he added that he is not afraid to fight the charges in court, His lawyer Edward Paul said it was 'rare' for a complainant to be charged alongside those he reported. 'This is rare, but we are ready. He is courageous and prepared to clear his name both as an accused and as a whistleblower,' he said. Tei had reportedly sought witness protection last year after accusing eight Sabah leaders in the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah of accepting bribes in exchange for helping him secure a mining prospecting licence. Tei was today charged alongside Andi and Dr Yusof Yacob of offering and receiving a total of RM350,000 in cash bribes respectively.
Malay Mail
31 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
General Operations Force ops across Sarawak cripple criminal activities, total seizures around RM5.5m
KUCHING, June 30 — The General Operations Force (GOF) Sarawak Brigade has crippled four criminal activities through Op Taring Alpha, Op Taring Bravo, Op Taring Awas, and Op Libas, where the total seizures reached around RM5.5 million. GOF Sarawak Brigade commander SAC Dr Che Ghazali Che Awang said the biggest haul was during Op Libas conducted in Sibu on June 24, where a team from Sibu GOF Battalion 10 raided a location suspected to be conducting illegal logging without valid permits. 'During the raid, the team apprehended three suspects aged 39 to 57, found 350 timbers of various sizes at the location, and seized a wood-cutting machine. 'The seizures amounted to RM3.5 million,' he said in a statement. Che Ghazali said the seized items were handed over to the Sibu Division Forest Department for further action and investigation under Section 96 of the Sarawak Forestry Ordinance 2015. In a second operation on June 23, GOF Kuching personnel raided a premises here believed to be used to store contraband liquor. Che Ghazali said five men aged 26 to 36 were arrested and 32,736 litres of alcohol as well as a lorry worth a total of RM1.45 million were seized. 'The seized items were handed over to Kota Samarahan District police headquarters and the case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(D) of the Customs Act 1967, Section 15(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, and Section 13 (1) of the Local Authorities Ordinance 1996,' he said. The third operation conducted in Miri on June 25 saw a team from GOF Miri Battalion 12 raid a premises believed to be used to store diesel without valid permits. Two men aged 32 and 45 were arrested, while 39,300 litres of diesel and a lorry were confiscated. The seizures valued at RM486, 065 were handed over to the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living for further action under Section 20(1) of the Control of Supplies Act 1961. The fourth operation, conducted on June 28 in Lundu, saw the arrests of three men aged 23 to 26 for drug possession and abuse. The raiding team confiscated a plastic packet weighing 0.32 grammes containing crystal granules believed to be methamphetamine, and a single-cab four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicle, resulting in seizures valued at RM50,100. The case had been handed over to Lundu District police headquarters and further investigation under Section 12 (2) and Section 15(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. Che Ghazali added that from Jan 1 to June 30, GOF Sarawak operations resulted in seizures worth RM290.3 million in 236 cases, which led to 355 arrests and 193 vehicles being impounded. — The Borneo Post
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Five detainees plead guilty to escaping from Pasir Mas court lockup
KOTA BHARU, June 30 — Five detainees who escaped from the Pasir Mas Sessions Court lockup last week pleaded guilty to charges of escaping from lawful custody at the Magistrate's Court here today. Mohd Safiuddin Hanif Mohd, 38, Muhamad Norshamzee Mohd Noresan Shargawi, 32, Mohamad Akmal Mohd Zahari, 31, Mohd Haris Zakaria, 37, and Muhammad Alif Izham Hussim, 23, entered their pleas after charges were read in front of Magistrate Rais Imran Hamid. Under the first charge, the five are accused of escaping from lawful custody from the Pasir Mas Sessions Court lockup at 10.20 am, June 22, which is an offence under Section 24 of the Penal Code and can be punished under the same section and read together with Section 34 of the same Code. The five were also charged with breaking into a house with the intent to steal a mobile phone belonging to a woman, 46, at 10.30 am at Kampung Kubang Bongor, Lemal, Pasir Mas on the same date, which is an offence under Section 457 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same Code. In addition, Mohd Safiuddin Hanif was charged under Section 332 of the Penal Code with deliberately causing harm to a police officer at 10.20 am at the Pasir Mas Sessions Court lockup on the same date. The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Syazalia Che Suhaimi while the accused were represented by National Legal Aid Foundation lawyer Nur Amira Mat. Syazalia did not offer bail to any of the accused as Mohd Safiuddin Hanif, Muhamad Norshamzee, Mohd Haris and Muhammad Alif Izham were involved in a drug case at the Pasir Mas Court, while Mohamad Akmal had a previous record of escaping from lockups. Nur Amira requested for minimum bail on the reason that all of the accused worked as menial workers earning low daily wages of between RM35 to RM50, and most of them had to support parents and schooling children. The court did not allow bail for all the accused and set August 13 for case re-mention. — Bernama
