Cop hurt in acid attack

Police believe assault linked to sergeant’s job

KUANTAN: A police sergeant suffered burns after he was splashed with a corrosive fluid by a bogus delivery man opposite his house at Taman Mahkota Putra on Monday.

The police sergeant, in his 50s from the Pahang police anti-vice, gaming and secret societies unit, sustained burns on his chest, hands and his neck in the 6pm attack.

It is learnt that a man had earlier arrived at his house on a motorcycle and called out for the victim on the pretext of delivering a food hamper.

The sergeant stepped out and examined the hamper before accepting it.

Footage of the attack, that was captured on a close-circuit security camera installed at the policeman’s house, showed that as the victim walked away with the hamper, the “delivery man” approached him from behind with a bottle of the corrosive fluid.

Fortunately, the policeman turned around and as the attacker splashed the fluid at him, the victim managed to block his face with the hamper.

The detective then threw the hamper at his attacker before removing his shirt that was soaked with the toxic fluid.

As the attacker tried to escape, the detective gave chase on foot but lost his assailant.

A woman, believed to be the victim’s wife, was also seen running to the policeman’s aid.

The attacker appeared to have come prepared in an overall suit and face mask, possibly to avoid being hit by the corrosive fluid in case his plan backfired.

Pahang police chief Datuk Abdul Jalil Hassan, when contacted yesterday, said the detective’s quick reaction of blocking the attack with the hamper had avoided severe injuries he might have suffered.

He said police believe the motive of the attack was related to the sergeant’s official work where he had busted several criminal syndicates.

“He is a dedicated personnel who is committed to his job and has never had any disciplinary issues.

“Recently, he came down hard on a human trafficking syndicate and solved a few cheating cases with the arrest of several people. We believe this attack was a retaliation by the syndicates he busted.

“We have gathered some clues, and efforts to trace the attacker is ongoing,” he told theSun.

Abdul Jalil said the injured policeman was transferred to the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital’s burn injury unit yesterday for specialised treatment. He said the victim is in

stable condition.