Gurun:Kedah An allegation that an 18-year-old youth had stolen a motorcycle is believed to have led to his torture and subsequent death, with his body found by the roadside in Jalan Harvard, Gurun, last Thursday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Kedah police chief Datuk Adzli Abu Shah reported that police discovered the body at 805 am on October 8. A post-mortem revealed that the victim died from blunt force trauma to the head. It is suspected that a group of individuals acted out of anger following complaints from residents about the alleged motorcycle theft.

The victim, identified as Muhammad Haikal Mohd Shahrilnizam, was reportedly caught in Pendang on October 5 and taken to a suspect's house. There, he was detained for two days, tortured, beaten, and had his hair cut. His body was found at the house on the night of October 7 and was later dumped by the roadside.

Police have arrested 14 men, aged between 16 and 24, during operations around Gurun and Guar Chempedak on October 8, just hours after the body was discovered. They seized 14 mobile phones, a Honda City, scissors, and the victim's identity card. Twelve suspects are remanded for six days until Wednesday, while two underage suspects are remanded until tomorrow. The case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

In a separate incident, police are tracking down two men in connection with an attempted murder and obstructing police during an operation against migrant smuggling at the Hutan Kampung Toll Plaza on October 7. During the operation, a Proton X70 SUV suspected of carrying five migrants was intercepted. The driver allegedly attempted to run over a police officer and crashed into a toll barrier before fleeing the scene.

Adzli stated that police fired at the vehicle's tyre, but the suspect abandoned the vehicle in Pendang, 28.3 kilometers from the scene. Several individuals have been detained, and police are seeking Muhammad Raffi Yusrino, 28, and Zulfikrie Naaim Morhinino, 36, for further investigation.