On Tuesday, an arson attack was launched on Nor Azman Mat Jini's family home in Precinct 11. Police believe three suspects were involved. ― Picture courtesy of Putrajaya Fire and Rescue Department

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — The Sibu connection in the arson attack against a senior Customs official has strengthened, with investigators exploring a possible tie to the mysterious case of chicken wings dumped and later unearthed in Bukit Aup there last April.

Sources familiar with the investigations told Malay Mail that police are examining this connection because the case was then under the purview of the arson target, goods and services tax (GST) branch senior assistant director Nor Azman Mat Jini.

“Nor Azman was based in Putrajaya as the senior assistant director of the enforcement division of the department’s import/export and border control branch when the chicken wings were unearthed by villagers.

“Several days after the discovery, Nor Azman made a police report in April stating he received threatening calls over the seizure of five frozen containers containing chicken in Sibu,” the source said.

Investigations revealed that several syndicates, described by the source as notorious and daring, were unhappy with Nor Azman over his role in the seizure.

“He became a target of the syndicate from then on.

“When the threats started coming, he was transferred to GST department.

“This is why we believe the latest arson attack on him could possibly be due his investigations work in the past,” the source said.

On Wednesday, Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said Nor Azman had busted syndicates involved in smuggling while serving at the department’s Enforcement Division.

”It has something to do with the job before that. Prior to his transfer, he managed to bust several syndicates that smuggled in goods with unpaid duty worth millions of ringgit,” he had said.

On April 4 last year, several villagers started digging up the chicken wings buried shallowly at a vacant land site about 1km from Bukit Aup.

The incident drew national interest after groups of scavengers rushed to dig out the chicken wings and even started selling them at cut prices of just RM6 per kg compared to the market price of RM10-12 per kg.

Few days before the discovery, villagers claimed that they saw several men disposing something but were not sure what was it.

A Customs official initially denied their involvement in the dumping, but two days later, the department owned up to the improper disposal.

The Borneo Post reported that Acting Sarawak Customs director Ahmad Zainudin Drahman back then said they were just carrying out instruction from federal officials in Putrajaya who took charge of the case from the start.

He was quoted saying: “The disposal of the chicken wings near Bukit Aup is beyond our knowledge. It is arranged by Customs Putrajaya. We only provided manpower.

“I cannot explain the rationale as it was not done by us.”

He also said the Veterinary Services Department had not been involved in the disposal, although under normal procedures, such action would require their approval.

“Putrajaya selected the location and handled the other relevant matters themselves, including engaging a contractor to do the task, while we only provide manpower for support,”he said.

The report also stated the chicken wings confiscated had been shipped in from the Netherlands to the Rajang Port in Sibu on February 23 without an import permit.

Following Ahmad Zainudin’s clarification, Custom Director-General Datuk T. Subromaniam on April 11 acknowledged the matter.

“I admit there was ‘minor non-compliance’ with [SOP] over the disposal of illegally-imported frozen chicken. We are investigating the matter,” he reportedly said then.

To date, no developments in the case has been made known to the media.

On Tuesday, an arson attack was launched on Nor Azman’s family home in Precinct 11 where he lives with his wife, daughter and son-in-law. Police believe three suspects were involved.

Four cars including a Mercedes Benz belonging to Nor Azman were destroyed.

The attack was the second involving a senior Customs officer.

In 2013, Customs deputy director-general Datuk Shaharuddin Ibrahim was gunned down in broad daylight, also in Putrajaya.

To this day, no one has been charged with Shaharuddin’s murder although over 40 people were arrested and quizzed, but police believe that he was killed because of his operations against smugglers and a car syndicate.