Four vehicles at senior Customs officer’s house believed set on fire

PUTRAJAYA: Four vehicles belonging to a senior Customs officer and his family members which were parked in front of their house at the government quarters at Precinct 11 here were believed to have been set on fire yesterday.

The incident, which occurred about 3.30am, also affected the front portion of the house occupied by Customs Senior Assistant Director Nur Azman Mat Jini, his wife, daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren.

The vehicles were a Mercedes Benz belonging to his wife, his Honda CRV car, a Perodua MyVi car belonging to his daughter and a Proton Saga car belonging to his son-in-law.

Putrajaya district police chief ACP Rosly Hassan, when contacted, said preliminary investigation by the police did not rule out arson.

Police found a hammer and a lighter at the back of the Mercedes Benz car, he said, adding that investigation would be conducted under Section 435 of the Penal Code for mischief by fire.

Putrajaya Fire and Rescue director Md. Hilman Abd. Rashid said firemen took about 30 minutes to douse the flame.

Meanwhile, Nur Azman’s wife, Noorhayati Khairuddin, said she and her husband were alerted of the fire following shouts by neighbours.

“My husband and I were upstairs, and we quickly went downstairs to wake up the others,” she said, adding that since the front section of the house was engulfed with smoke, they escaped through the back door.

Customs Deputy DirectorGeneral ( Enforcement/ Compliance) Datuk Zulkif li Yahya, in response to a question on the incident from reporters at a media conference on cigarette smuggling said the department was leaving the matter to the relevant authorities to investigate.

Asked whether there were threats against the officer concerned, he said, the matter was being investigated.

“It is normal for the Customs (officers) to receive threats, but that would not hamper us from carrying out our duties,” he said. — Bernama