5.18m croc suspected in Sept 18 attack on young Tatau girl captured

BINTULU (Sept 27): A crocodile measuring 5.18 meters, believed to be responsible for the attack on a young girl in Sungai Tatau last Wednesday, has been captured by the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) this morning.

Tatau District Police Chief DSP Jame Reis told Utusan Borneo that the reptile was caught in the waters of Nanga Sap around 9.30am.

“In today’s effort to hunt for the crocodile, we managed to trace the position of the reptile before shooting it after getting permission from the SFC,” he said.

After being brought ashore, SFC personnel dissected the crocodile’s stomach in the presence of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the victim’s family members.

Some teeth were discovered during the procedure, though it has yet to be confirmed whether they belong to the victim.

“The teeth samples found inside the crocodile’s stomach will be sent to the Department of Chemistry Malaysia for verification,” said Jame.

He also said that a second crocodile was captured around 1pm today, and the same procedure will be carried out to search for further evidence related to the case.

On September 18, 2024, the 6-year-old victim, Cicilia Julan Intik, was attacked by the crocodile while bathing with her family at Kampung Seberang Pasar Lama around 6.30pm.

A search and rescue (SAR) operation was subsequently launched but was called off on September 26 after no new leads were found.