KUALA LUMPUR: Police today confirmed that the four main suspects who allegedly engineered the assassination of Kim Jong-nam have fled the country.
They were identified as Ri Ji Hyon, 33; Hong So Hac, 34; O Jong Gil, 55; and Ri Jae Nam, 57, all hailing from North Korea.
They were believed to have fled Malaysia on Monday, Feb 13, the day Jong-nam was killed.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim however, declined to reveal the destination the suspects were headed to.
Noor Rashid said police are also looking for a North Korean national Ri Ji U (also known as James), 30, as well as two unidentified suspects also believed to be North Koreans, to aid the investigation.
On Friday, police arrested North Korean national Ri Jong Chol, 47 at a condominium at Kuchai Lama, here. He was alleged to be one of the masterminds behind the case.
Noor Rashid confirmed are treating the death at the Kuala Lumpur International Aiport 2 as a murder case.
However, he said police cannot confirm that the deceased was indeed the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
"We need the next-of-kin to come forward and verify his identity. Police also have to base our assessments on scientific evidence (DNA tests) to confirm.
"As for now, he is identified as Kim Chol, aged 47, from North Korea based on his passport," he told a packed press conference at the Federal Police headquarters in Bukit Aman, here today.
On the cause of death, Noor Rashid said police were still waiting for toxicology and pathology reports which are expected to be ready in the next few days.
Police have yet to receive any request from the deceased's next-of-kin to claim his remains, nor have they contacted the police to assist in confirming his identity.