BODIES OF 5 DROWNED GAMBLERS FOUND
They jumped into Sungai Muda on Friday to escape police raid on cockfighting den
THE bodies of five men who jumped into Sungai Muda to evade arrest on Friday were found floating in the river yesterday. The bodies were found entangled in fishing nets by a local, who alerted the police.
The men reportedly jumped into the river on Friday to escape a raid on a cockfighting den in Kuala Ketil.
Fire and Rescue Department personnel were called to the scene to assist in fishing out the bodies before they were sent to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Star.
It was learnt that the men were linked to the biggest cockfight gambling operation in the northern region.
The cousin of a 50-year-old man, whose body was found yesterday, said his family lodged a missing person report after finding his car at the scene.
He said his cousin’s family asked him to identify the man’s body at the hospital mortuary.
He said the deceased, who was from Kuala Kedah, was a cockfighting gambler.
“His family told me that he left the house on Chinese New Year for a cockfighting competition.
“He had been gambling for a decade and always took part in cockfighting competitions. He would even go to Hatyai to do so.
“He had been winning between RM1,000 and RM2,000 in bets. It was his income.”
The man, who preferred anonymity, said his cousin had given police the slip many times but had run out of luck when he drowned after jumping into the river during the raid.
“He was aware that cockfighting is illegal and he ended up paying for it with his life.”
The post-mortem on the bodies will be carried out today.
State Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Mohd Zahar Abdullah said the search operation was suspended at 6pm yesterday after all five bodies were recovered.