SUNGAI PETANI: The unclothed body of an unidentified person, believed to be a woman, was found floating in a river behind a shopping centre in Pekan Lama here today.
Based on the state of decomposition, the victim is believed to have been dead for about 48 hours.
Kuala Muda police chief Assistant Commissioner Hanyan Ramlan said police received a call from the public about the discovery at 1.30pm today.
He said initial checks found the body unclothed and floating, with no bindings on either hand.
“For now, we have opened an investigation paper for sudden death (SDR) pending the results of a post-mortem to be conducted tomorrow.
“We have yet to identify the victim’s identity, exact age or race due to the state of decomposition,” he said at a press conference today.
Hanyan said an external examination could not clearly detect any injuries, adding that police must wait for the post-mortem to determine the cause of death and whether any criminal element was involved.
He said the body had been sent to Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital (HSAH) here for further action.
“So far, we have received missing persons reports, and we will conduct further checks in the Kuala Muda district and neighbouring districts to see if any missing woman matches the victim’s description.
“We estimate the victim to be in her 30s or older, though this has yet to be confirmed,” he said.
Those with information or missing female family members can contact the nearest police station to assist with the investigation and identification process.
He added that police have yet to establish whether the victim was a local or a foreigner.