Police arrest the second suspect in the attack on Selangor’s Faisal Halim

PETALING JAYA – Police have arrested another suspect allegedly involved in the acid attack on Selangor FC striker and Malaysian footballer Faisal Halim at a shopping mall in Damansara, Petaling Jaya, the New Straits Times said on May 7 about the incident. took place the day before.

According to sources, the suspect is in his 30s and the motive behind the attack is still under investigation.

Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan was quoted separately by The Star: “This is the second suspect arrested in connection with the acid attack. He is being remanded in custody today to assist with the investigation.”

On May 6, it was reported that police had arrested a man – believed to be in his 20s – at Pandan Indah in Ampang based on the license plate number of a motorcycle allegedly used in the incident, the NST said.

Faisal, 26, had suffered fourth-degree burns and injuries to his face, back, arms and ribs and social media users were shocked by viral images of his wounds, and that such a crime could happen to a national footballer.

But it was not the first case, as last week Malaysian teammate Akhyar Rashid was robbed in Kuala Terengganu and suffered cuts and bruises, according to The Star.

Football Association of Malaysia president Hamidin Mohamad Amin said he was “angry and sad” about both attacks.

“The people of Malaysia pray that Akhyar and Faisal recover quickly and return to action,” he said.

Elsewhere in the world, a wave of crimes against South American footballers has underlined the risks faced by players who are loathe to return home from foreign clubs to a region where they, or their loved ones, risk being kidnapped, blackmailed or targeted by gangs.

In March, relatives of Angel di Maria received a note threatening their lives if he returned home to play for a club in the city of Rosario – Argentina’s third largest city, which has recently seen an explosion in drug-related crime.

The Benfica winger had previously indicated that he would like to play for his boyhood club Rosario Central again.

Argentine authorities said the note contained a threat from “criminal organizations” making a show of force, and sources close to Di Maria said he had ruled out a return to “prioritize the safety and health of his family.”

Also in Rosario in 2023, armed men opened fire on a shop owned by the family of the wife of Argentine captain Lionel Messi. They left a threatening message for the footballer, which was also interpreted as gangs flexing their muscles.

Further north, in gang violence-torn Ecuador, striker Enner Valencia recently abandoned plans to return to home side Emelec of Brazil, where he currently plays for Porto Alegre club Internacional.

Valencia’s once peaceful homeland is experiencing a shocking increase in violence and killings as narco gangs have grown stronger and wage bloody wars.

In 2022, Valencia’s sister was taken hostage and held near the Colombian border for over a week.

Last October, guerrillas in Colombia kidnapped the father of Liverpool footballer Luis Diaz. He was held for 12 days before being released under pressure from the government as it negotiated a peace deal with the ELN guerrillas.

Extortion, a common crime committed by criminal groups in Latin America, especially plagues Peru.

In February, striker Paolo Guerrero became a target after signing for club Cesar Vallejo. Soon, a gang member began extorting his mother, Petronila Gonzales. They were eventually arrested. AFP