JOHOR BARU: A Rohingya man known as “Long Tiger” was captured in the nick of time as the fugitive was planning to escape to a neighbouring country.

       Investigations so far showed that Abdul Hamim Ab Hamid, 32, who is under remand until Jan 1, wanted to flee from Malaysia, said outgoing Johor police chief Comm Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.

       Besides the arrest of Abdul Hamim and his 46-year-old male accomplice in Kedah on Tuesday at around 3.15pm, he said police also arrested two other male suspects between the ages of 36 and 38 years in Batu Pahat in the wee hours of yesterday morning.

       “Long Tiger knew the accomplice whom he met through Facebook. They became friends last year.

       “The other two suspects assisted him by buying him a mobile SIM card and cutting off his cuff. Police seized a pair of cuffs and an iron cutter from them,” he said.

       One of the suspects has a criminal record, he told a press conference yesterday.

       He said police were investigating how Abdul Hamim managed to escape until he was captured in Sungai Petani in Kedah, which is more than 500km away from the Tangkak Magistrate’s Court on Dec 15

       Comm Ayob said that it was carelessness on the part of the police which allowed the suspect to escape from the lock up in the first place.

       He said the four police personnel who were accompanying Abdul Hamim have since been suspended while Tangkak OCPD and Tangkak police station chief would be referred to Bukit Aman for disciplinary action as well.

       “Police are also opening up an investigation paper after pictures of Abdul Hamim’s arrest went viral on social media as it will tamper with our investigations.

       “We are also investigating a Facebook posting by a former policeman from Klang for circulating the pictures on social media,” he said, adding that the case was being investigated under Section 233 of the Communication and Multimedia Act.

       Comm Ayob warned that police would take action against anyone including senior ranked officers if they were found to leak such information to the public.

       On Tuesday, police arrested Abdul Hamim, almost two weeks after he escaped from the Magistrate’s Court lock-up in Tangkak.

       Abdul Hamim had escaped through the main entrance of the Tangkak courthouse at around noon on Dec 15, before his hearing.

       He was picked up from the Sungai Udang Prison in Melaka a day before the incident and brought to attend the court proceeding for an extortion case.

       Police personnel who were escorting a handcuffed Abdul Hamim to court only realised his escape after seeing him running out of the door towards the gate.

       Four police personnel and the court security guards ran after him but he managed to flee towards the woods.

       The suspect also has an ongoing hearing at the Muar Sessions Court for rape under Section 376 of the Penal Code.

       Abdul Hamim was picked up in Muar on July 12 after he allegedly locked up a 21-year-old local said to be his former worker.

       On April 28, he was detained at his home in Muar after he allegedly made a slanderous statement against a police officer from the Tangkak headquarters.

       A 27-year-old corporal from the Muar police department who allegedly circulated videos of his arrest on social media was arrested and investigated under the Communications and Multimedia Act.

       Abdul Hamim was charged in 2012 under Sections 363 and 376 of the Penal Code for kidnapping and rape.

       In 2009, he was convicted under Section 506 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation.

       He has temporary resident status as well as a refugee card issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.