Police confirm taking samples from condominium in Jalan Klang Lama

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KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor Police chief Datuk Seri Abdul Samah Mat has confirmed that police had taken samples from a condominium in Jalan Klang Lama, believed to be related to the investigation on the murder of Kim Jong-nam.

He said the samples taken from the condominium, The Verve Suite, on Thursday, was part of the health procedure in the investigation and would be sent to the Chemistry Department for analysis.

“We however could not confirm specifically if the samples taken are liquid or chemical. Nothing positive can be confirmed yet as it is still being investigated,” he told reporters after officiating the JomFest Carnival-BigFood Festival here, yesterday.

On a report by a local English media that a man was arrested following the raid, Abdul Samah denied the report saying no new arrest was made.

Commenting further on the investigation, he said police were now working closely with the Chemistry Department, Forensic Department and the Malaysian Nuclear Agency to investigate if the chemical used in the killing had radioactive effects.

Asked if there had been any development from the North Korean Embassy, Abdul Samah said no officials from the embassy had come forward to hand over the wanted individual to date.

He said the police would continue to give reasonable period to the embassy to hand over the wanted individual to assist in the investigation.

“Regardless of the diplomatic immunity, police will exercise all of its power to call anyone to assist in the probe as the case is being investigated as criminal matters,” he added.

Jong-nam, the older half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was at the KL International Airport 2 (klia2) at 8am on Feb 13 to board a flight to Macau when an hour later two women suddenly appeared before him and wiped his face with the palms of their hands which contained a poisonous liquid, which was identified as the lethal VX nerve agent on Friday.

Jong-nam, who had come to Malaysia on Feb 6 and carried a passport bearing the name Kim Chol, died on the way to the Putrajaya Hospital.

Following Jong-nam’s murder, the police have arrested four people – two women, one holding an Indonesian passport and the other a Vietnamese passport; and two men, one a Malaysian and the other a North Korean.

The Malaysian has been released on police bail. — Bernama