Cops probe possible link in urn theft cases at three memorial parks

Cops probe possible link in urn theft cases at three memorial parks

KULAI: Police are investigating whether there is a link in the theft of urns from three columbaria following the arrest of four suspects and the recovery of four urns in the past month.

The suspects — two Malaysians and two foreigners — were picked up in connection with the theft of 22 urns from the Perpetual Memorial Park in Kulai, Johor. They were released on bail.

Similar thefts were also reported at the Xiao En Memorial Park in Nilai, Negri Sembilan, where 30 urns were stolen, and at the Nirvana Memorial Park.

Nilai police recovered four urns and recorded statements from 10 witnesses, but no arrests have been made.

Kulai police chief Assistant Commissioner Tan Seng Lee said police had recorded statements from 23 people, including family members and memorial park staff.

He declined to elaborate when asked if police were looking into the possibility of insider involvement, only saying that investigations were ongoing.

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The incident in Kulai was uncovered on March 6 when the memorial park assistant manager noticed that several urns were missing from the rack at Perpetual Memorial Park in Jalan Kota Tinggi-Kulai.

Nilai police chief Superintendent Johari Yahya said investigators were working to complete witness statements and verify the identities of the ashes in the recovered urns.

He said police were looking at all angles, including the possibility of insider involvement.

“This is still at an early stage and cannot be confirmed at this point.”

Nirvana Memorial Park officials claimed that they recovered some stolen urns, but declined to give details.

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The theft of more than 50 urns from the three colambaria have shocked families and the community.

The Federation of Chinese Cemetery Associations Malaysia chairman Lee Koon Lam had said the thefts could be the work of “insiders”, as the nature of the thefts suggested they were carefully planned with inside help.

“It is not easy to remove urns from a columbarium. There are locks, access points and controlled movement involved.

“It is impossible to pull off such a theft without someone from inside providing information or assistance,” he had told the New Straits Times.