JOHOR BARU: Police have arrested eight men in connection with the double murder of a mother and her teenage daughter in Ulu Tiram here.
Johor police chief Datuk Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd said two of the suspects, who were traveling on an express bus heading to Kuala Lumpur, were caught at a roadblock at Km142 of the North-South expressway exit in Pagoh.
Najmuddin said several personal belongings of the deceased were found in the possession of the two suspects during the arrest.
"Based on information from the public and ongoing investigations, the Johor Baru Selatan district police were able to detain five of the men, aged 18 to 20, in Taman Pelangi Indah.
"This led to the arrest of two other men in their 20s who were detained on an express bus in their attempt to flee to Kuala Lumpur," he said in a statement.
The eighth man was detained at 3am today.
The bodies of Mariayee Muthiah, 56, and her daughter, Durga Devi Cheamuthu, 16, were found at their home by a family member at about 10.30am yesterday.
Police said yesterday that the murder was likely motivated by revenge by one of the suspects, who is believed to have had an eye for the dead teenager, but who may have been rejected by the family.