Victim may have been tracked via his social media postings

KUALA LUMPUR: The assassination was swift and precise. The planning took months.

“It was definitely an elaborate operation, which took months to plan and finally execute,” said a source.

And in a way, it was death by social media.

Sources said the plotters could possibly have tracked Kim Jongnam, the exiled half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, via social media.

“Social media might be one of the tools used to track him down due to his active use of the platform,” a source said.

When the misdeed was done, the two female assassins were believed to have had an exit plan to escape to a neighbouring country.

“They might have waited a few days to do so but their plan backfired when police nailed them before they could run away,” a source said when contacted yesterday.

When contacted, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said: “We believe they had planned it for quite some time.”

Khalid said there could also be Malaysians involved in the murder.

“It is too premature to conclude anything,” he said.

Police, he said, were still looking for three North Korean men to assist in the investigation.

They are North Korean Embassy Second Secretary Hyon Kwang-song, 44 (who arrived in Malaysia on Sept 20 last year), Air Koryo employee Kim Uk-il, 37, (arrived on Jan 29) and Ri Ji-u, 30, also known as James. Little is known about Ri so far.

“We believe he is still in the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hospital Kuala Lumpur set up two tents yesterday for media personnel camping outside the mortuary to cover the Jongnam case.

Chairs and tables were also provided.

We believe they had planned it (the assassination) for quite some time. Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar