Arms cache seized in suspect’s house

Police say raid on Datuk Stephen Lee Chee Kiang’s house for security reasons and not part of murder probe

MIRI: Seven firearms registered under Datuk Stephen Lee Chee K ian ga nd 623 bullets were seized from his house at Jalan Woodhouse, Taman Tanjung Lubang here on Wednesday morning.

State CID chief SAC Datuk Dev Kumar disclosed this during a press conference at the police headquarters here yesterday morning.

Lee is one the suspects in the recent murder of PKR Miri division secretary and social activist Bill Kayong.

He is believed to be the mastermind of the murder and had fled to Australia.

On speculations that the seizure was part of the police investigation into the murder, Dev Kumar said none of the seized weapons which comprised one Glock pistol, five shotguns and a Ruger Mini 14 Ranch Rifle were related to the murder.

“However, the firearms have no connection with the murder of Bill

The firearms have no connection with the murder of Bill Kayong on June 21. SAC Datuk Dev Kumar, State CID chief

Kayong on June 21,” he said.

He explained that the police seized the weapons and ammunitions for security reasons as Lee was no longer in the country.

Dev Kumar said the pistol and rifle seized were owned by Lee for his own protection with the licences issued by police, while the shotguns were for auxiliary police use and the licences issued by the Miri District Office.

“The State Police Commissioner Datuk Mazlan Mansor is in the process of revoking the licences of two of the seized firearms,” said Dev Kumar, adding that the police would also write to Miri District Office to revoke the other firearms licences registered under Lee.

Also at tending the press conference was Miri deputy police chief Supt Stanley Jonathan Ringgit.

Dev Kumar (fourth right), Stanley (third right) and others looking at the seized weapons during the press conference held at Miri police headquarters yesterday.