Kedah police chief Adzli Abu Shah said the suspects, aged between 22 and 52, were picked up in a series of raids in Bukit Kayu Hitam and Padang Besar, Perlis, on the day of the incident between 10.30am and 6pm.
“Investigations revealed that the six men and one woman, the wife of one of the suspects, lived near the scene and knew one another, and that four of them had criminal records for serious offences.
“Two suspects were found to have gunshot residue on their hands and cheeks. Investigations also showed that they did not possess a licence to own firearms,” Adzli told reporters at the Kedah police contingent headquarters here today.
He said gunshot residue was also detected on the key and helmet of a motorcycle believed to have been used in the crime, although the weapon itself has yet to be recovered.
Adzli said the married couple, residents of Bukit Kayu Hitam, were picked up near the Padang Besar border checkpoint at 12.30pm. They were suspected of attempting to flee to a neighbouring country.
“The suspects have been remanded for between two and four days to assist in investigations, while the woman who is in her 30s has been remanded for 14 days under Section 51(5)(b) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 to verify the authenticity of her identification documents.
“The case is being investigated under Section 3 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971, Section 307 of the Penal Code and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63,” he said.
He said the shooting could have been an attempt on the AKPS commander’s life, possibly motivated by dissatisfaction with enforcement measures that had disrupted smuggling operations.
“Several major smuggling attempts had been foiled, including some involving 100 tonnes of rice, pig carcasses, and over 100 migrants, resulting in losses exceeding RM1 million. This is believed to have motivated attempts to intimidate and obstruct enforcement.
“We will not retreat and are not intimidated by such threats. Stronger measures will be implemented, including equipping border personnel with bulletproof vests and additional firearms,” he added.
On Wednesday, the Proton X70 driven by AKPS commander Nasaruddin Nasir was fired upon at about 5.40am at the slip road leading to Masjid Al-Muhajirin in Bukit Kayu Hitam, around 1km from the Malaysia-Thailand border.
Two suspects on a motorcycle reportedly discharged two rounds, believed to have been fired from a semi-automatic weapon.