Suspected trafficker ferrying 8 Myanmars shot dead

A suspected human trafficking syndicate member who ferried eight Myanmar illegal immigrants in a Perodua Alza car all the way from Kelantan to Puchong, Selangor, to be handed over to a middleperson has been shot dead by the police.

The incident took place about 7.30pm yesterday. The Myanmar nationals included two women.

Selangor police chief Noor Azam Jamaludin said police opened fire after the suspect, identified as Mohd Zafarul Nizam Hamzah, 37, tried to ram police vehicles when rounded up in the area, probably out of panic.

"The operation was conducted by a special team from Bukit Aman that tailed the car from Kelantan to Puchong.

"When police were about to arrest the suspect, he tried to ram into a police officer, maybe because he panicked.

"In reaction, police fired several shots," Noor Azam told the media during a media conference at Serdang District police headquarters today.

As a result, a male passenger sustained critical injuries on the shoulder and abdomen and has been sent to hospital.

Noor Azam said checks on the car showed that it was a rented vehicle and had been modified to accommodate the eight passengers.

The car was shown to the media members at the compound of the police station. At least four bullet holes were seen on the windscreen and side windows. The windows were fully tinted.

Police also detained another Myanmar man in the Puchong area, believed to have acted as a middleperson to the syndicate, yesterday.

Noor Azam said suspect (Mohd Zafarul) has a record of three drug cases, theft (five cases) and one case each of extortion, snatch and car theft.