Two Pakistanis held over murder of friend

SINGAPORE - Three impoverished Pakistani men checked into a lodge in Rowell Road last month, and survived by selling tissue paper.

Yesterday, two of them were arrested in connection with the murder of the third man, whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase on Wednesday, with his legs severed.

The suspects, Rashid, 43, and Rizwan, 25, were arrested in Rowell Road, at about 3pm yesterday.

The owner of the lodge, who did not want to be named, told My Paper yesterday that Rashid and the victim, Mohamed Noor, 59, had stayed in the same room since arriving in the middle of last month.

Rizwan had arrived later in the month and stayed separately.

The three men would usually leave the lodge in the morning, and return in the evening to pay their rent - $18 per person per night.

The three men were to leave Singapore this month.

The last time the owner saw the suspects was on Wednesday, around 6pm, when the bloody luggage was found.

"They did everything as per normal. That's something hard to digest," the owner said.

Police were on their trail quickly.

At about 11am yesterday, the officers showed up at 24-hour shopping centre Mustafa Centre.

The specific question that was asked of Raja, who works in the hardware department, was: "Did anyone buy a saw worth $119?"

And the 55-year-old recalled that someone had.

Mr Raja was then taken to a security room where he identified the man on surveillance-camera footage.

"Yesterday, only one person bought a saw, that's why I remembered him. He came to test it too," said the cashier, who has been working there for more than 20 years.

The police had also specifically asked the luggage department to verify the price of a 29-inch suitcase, similar to the one used to stow the body.

The contents of the suitcase were discovered only at about 6pm on Wednesday. A karung guni man tried to load it onto a trolley, only to find it too heavy.

The suitcase had been on the pavement in Syed Alwi Road at least since 1.30pm.

A food seller, a Mr Lim, told My Paper yesterday that he had placed his fingers on the suitcase placed in the middle of the pavement as he tried to squeeze past it.

He was shocked to find out about the grisly contents of the luggage later.

No less surprised was Islam Mohd Nazrul, who runs a provision shop next to the lodge, as he recognised one of the men who was arrested as a customer.

"He didn't speak any English. I just showed him the prices with my fingers," he told My Paper.

The man wore a salwar and long kurta every day, he said.

He added that he last saw the man at about 11am on Wednesday.

The police said that about 100 officers were involved in the operation.

The two men are expected to be produced in court tomorrow.

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