After more than 24 hours since a vast police team descended onto the private residence of ousted prime minister Najib Abdul Razak on Jalan Langgak Duta, Kuala Lumpur, there seemed to be no end in sight with searches still ongoing.
Although several police vehicles have been observed leaving the area, several others remain parked out front.
Officers from Bukit Aman's federal commercial crimes department are still believed to be combing through Najib's house.
Follow our live blog as the Malaysiakini team brings you the news as it takes place.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Major haul with 72 bags of cash, 284 boxes of handbags seized
- Lawyers gather at Najib's house
- Nurul Izzah tweets disagreement on early morning raid
- Najib's son arrives
- Police turning away visitors
- Unmarked police cars leave the scene
- Najib breaks Ramadhan fast with his mother
- Umno Youth too depressed to protest police treatment of Najib
- Police still unable to crack safe at Najib's home.
This live blog has ended
72 bags of cash and jewellery, 284 boxes of handbags seized.
2.15am: Raja Chulan - Bukit Aman commercial crime investigation department chief Amar Singh Ishar Singh says police have seized 72 bags filled with jewellery, and cash of various currencies.
Police also seized 284 boxes of luxury handbags.
He says the units raided at the Pavilion Residences luxury condominium are under the name of a 'Tan Sri' whom he declined to name.
In total, Amar Singh says police conducted simultaneous raids at six locations, including the prime minister's office, the ex-prime minister's official residence, and Najib's private home.
He adds police have no intention to harass anyone, but a search will take as much time as needed.
Police bring in five trucks at Pavilion Residences
2.00am: Raja Chulan - Police load at least a dozen luggage bags into the fifth and last police truck.
1.25am: A fifth police truck is brought in to the to the Pavilion Residences luxury condominium in Jalan Raja Chulan.
Police say this will be the last truck needed to transport the seized items.
Most of the boxes carted away earlier are believed to be luxury goods.
1am: Police bring in a fourth truck to the Pavilion Residences luxury condominium in Jalan Raja Chulan.
Police are continuously loading box after box of items seized from units linked to former premier Najib Abdul Razak.
Police still can't crack safe at Najib's house
12.45pm: Langgak Duta - The police are still unable to open the safe, allegedly locked for two decades, in former premier Najib Abdul Razak’s house here.
This is according to Federal Territories Umno Youth chief Razlan Rafii who is just leaving the house.
“(Police) still can't open it yet,” he says when asked whether the safe has been cracked open.
“Actually he (Najib) said that safe is very old, his child has used it for so long and has never opened it for twenty years.
“But the police also, they should hire experts in cracking open safes, like in the film 'The Italian Job' and such,” Razlan quip.
Najib, meanwhile, is still in high spirits, he says.
12.30am: Raja Chulan - A crowd of onlookers and media gathers outside luxury condominium Pavilion Residences along Jalan Raja Chulan following a raid on residences linked to Najib earlier last night.
Police is bringging in a new truck to the loading bay, believed to facilitate the transportation of more seized items. 10 minutes later, a third truck arrives.
Bukit Aman Commercial CID director Amar Singh Ishar Singh is expected to hold a press conference here after confirming earlier reports of the raid.
The team from Bukit Aman was earlier said to have been counting cash and jewellery seized from the luxury condominium unit.
Umno Youth too down to protest
11.25pm: Langgak Duta - Activist Hishamuddin Rais arrives here, asking reporters stationed here where Najib’s house is.
He proceeds to make some serious allegations against Najib, which he claims to have heard from Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Hishamuddin says he intends to form a new NGO called Bersih Malaysia to pursue these allegations.
He leaves the area after taking some pictures of Najib’s house.
11.20pm: Federal Territories Umno Youth chief Razlan Rafii (photo) arrives outside former premier Najib Abdul Razak’s house.
Responding to a question on whether Umno Youth will protest against the marathon police raid here, he says they are all “feeling down”.
“It’s not that we don’t want to protest. Right now we are all feeling very down.
“Everyone is feeling down. Yeah, as you know, we just lost the government,” he told reporters who him as he neared the police yellow tape.
He also asks where is the humanity in conducting this marathon raid, especially as Najib is a former premier.
“I don’t see a single charge against Najib.
“When we lose our power, people treat us as if we haven’t done anything for them. This is not our culture,” he says.
The police allows him and a couple of his friends to enter the road leading to Najib’s house.
A red Porsche Macan allowed to enter
10.50pm: Langgak Duta - A red Porsche Macan with heavily tinted windows attempts to enter the cordoned-off road leading to Najib's house.
A police officer asks for the windows to be rolled down several times before the person in the car does so. Even then, the window is only rolled down a little.
The officer is heard asking “Who are you?” several times before saying, “Adik dia?” (Their sibling?). He then allows the car to enter.
Locksmiths exit Najib's home
10.05pm: Langgak Duta - Another locksmith has exited Najib's house, armed with what appears to be an electric plasma cutter.
Questioned about his role and whether they managed to crack open the safe, the man merely shook his head.
Further questions of similar nature yielded a simple “I don’t know”.
The man got into a car, and another younger man wearing a shirt bearing the words “professional locksmith” also entered the car.
As they drove off, five cars, several of which were the police vehicles, drove out of the cordoned off area accompanied by an outrider.
Shortly after the cars left, about three clearly marked police cars entered the cordoned off area separately, a few minutes apart.
Najib returns after breaking fast with mother
9.30pm: Langgak Duta - Najib Abdul Razak has just returned home after breaking fast with his mother Rahah Mohammad Noah in her house at Jalan Eaton, Kuala Lumpur.
A picture of him with his mother was just uploaded onto social media.
According to a source close to the former prime minister, Najib’s mother has apparently expressed distress over the raid on her son's house late last night and is concerned for the family, in particular, about her grandchildren and great-grandson.
However, Najib had supposedly reassured her that he had tried to do his best for the country.
Both of them agreed that Najib needed to stay strong to face this “test from God”.
Locksmiths fail to open safe in Najib's residence
7.30pm: Langgak Duta - Two men wearing waistcoats that indicate they are locksmiths walk out of Najib’s private home but decline to provide their names.
It is believed they were brought in earlier to assist in efforts to open a stubborn safe.
Asked if they had come to assist in opening the safe, they nodded.
When asked if they had succeeded, they just shook their heads.
Najib and family leave residence to break fast
7pm: Langgak Duta - Escorted by one police outrider, several vehicles, including a fully-tinted white Toyota Alphard Vellfire, the former prime minister and his family leave their private home.
A source tells Malaysiakini that Najib and his family are on their way out for "buka puasa" (breaking of fast).
Najib’s lawyer Harpal Singh Grewal earlier clarified that Najib was not under house arrest but was free to leave his house as and when he wanted to.
Cops drilling safe locked for 'two decades' in Najib's house
6.30pm: Langgak Duta - The police are attempting to drill open a safe in former premier Najib Abdul Razak's residence in Jalan Langgak Duta, Kuala Lumpur which has allegedly remained locked for two decades.
His lawyer Harpal Singh Grewal claimed the key has been misplaced.
Asked by members of the press what was in the safe, the lawyer replied: "God knows”.
Harpal also explained that the police had conducted the raid based on the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2001.
Black Maria leaves Najib’s mansion with one man and boxes
4.45pm: Langgak Duta - After an 18-hour raid, the Black Maria leaves former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s residence, carrying stacks of turquoise-coloured boxes and an unidentified man riding in the back of the truck with a police officer.
Despite repeated questions, the man refuses to identify himself to the media.
The man does not appear to be handcuffed.
The Black Maria is accompanied by two police outriders and a police car.
As it begins to rain, members of the media chase the entourage out to the main road but the man refuses once again to comment.
Lawyers gather at Najib's residence
3.45pm: Langgak Duta - Moments later, a black BMW X1 registered to another lawyer, Chan Mun Fong, is allowed to enter the premises.
A woman is seen driving the car with an elderly-looking man in the passenger seat.
Thus far, three lawyers are believed to be inside Najib’s Langgak Duta residence amidst an ongoing police raid.
3.30pm: Langgak Duta - Umno lawyer Hasnal Rezua Merican and his son are seen walking into Najib’s house and are granted access by the police.
Hasnal previously represented Special Action Unit Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, who was given the death sentence for the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu.
The lawyer and his son ignore questions from the press.
Moments before their arrival, a gold Mercedes Benz believed to be ferrying another lawyer, Harpal Singh Grewal, departs from the house only to turn back less than five minutes later.
Thus far, several police cars have come in and out of the road leading to Najib’s residence.
Curious onlookers have also been dropping by the scene to get a glimpse of Najib’s sprawling mansion.
Nazri denies visiting Najib's residence
1.30pm: Petaling Jaya - Former tourism and culture minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz denies visiting former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak at his residence amidst an ongoing police raid.
“Bukan (no),” he told Malaysiakini in a text message when asked if he was in one of the cars seen entering Najib’s house this morning.
Malay-language daily Berita Harian previously reported that Nazri had entered Najib’s house.
Since about 10am, police have allowed a flurry of cars to drive in and out of the house.
Nurul Izzah condemns raid at 'ungodly hour'
1.15pm: Petaling Jaya - PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar speaks out against the ongoing overnight police raid on former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s Langgak Duta residence.
“As former victims of early dawn police raids, I must stress my disagreement in ransacking any home at such an ungodly hour.
“Charge, investigate, prudently... Prinsip keadilan & berhikmah sentiasa terpakai (the principle of justice and wisdom should be followed),” she tweets, while tagging the official Twitter account of the Royal Malaysian Police.
Nurul Izzah’s father and PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim had in 1998 been subjected to an early morning raid by balaclava-clad commandos prior to being convicted for his Sodomy I charge.
12.50pm: Langgak Duta - Another fully-tinted car, this time a black Toyota Alphard Vellfire, enters the road leading to Najib’s house.
Police reveal to the media that the person seated inside is “Najib’s son”, but decline to reveal exactly which son.
A check on the vehicle’s registration plate reveals that the owner is Mohamad Nizar Najib, the former premier’s son from his first marriage.
No visitors allowed
12.15pm: Langgak Duta - A silver Mercedes Benz attempts to enter the road leading to Najib’s residence.
When police approach the car, the driver says he is driving a “lawyer” but does not reveal any names. The car windows are fully tinted and the passenger appears to be seated in the backseat.
The car is allowed to enter, however.
At the house, a man resembling Najib’s lawyer Harpal Singh Grewal alights the car. He had last left Najib’s house at 4am this morning.
11.30am: A man identifying himself as Umno Port Dickson member and Najib’s longtime friend Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman walks towards Najib’s house but is turned away by police.
“I have come here as a friend of Najib, to come see him and boost his morale. But the police are not allowing him to have any visitors.
“Is he under house arrest or what?” he says to members of the press.
Abdul Rahim says that he, along with four other friends of Najib’s, will attempt to visit the house again at noon.
10am: Several unmarked police vehicles are observed leaving.
While unable to discern their occupants clearly, press members could make out several individuals in hoodies in the cars.
In one car, a person in the passenger seat is seen with his or her face covered.
9.20am: According to the New Straits Times, one of the homes being searched at Pavilion Residences belongs to the son of Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor.
It is reported that police are unable to enter another two units as the owner, who is the couple's daughter, are not home.
What happened this morning: At about 10.15pm last night, a police team arrived at the house in more than a dozen cars, followed by the Black Maria, which is often used to transport detainees, at 3.50am this morning.
It was later learned that the truck is being used to transport evidence boxes.
Najib's lawyer Harpal Singh Grewal claimed police seized several boxes of handbags, presents and personal belongings.
Najib is believed to be investigated for money laundering, in relation to the 1MDB scandal.
Bukit Aman commercial crime department director Amar Singh Ishar Singh reportedly confirmed police were searching five locations, including Najib's residence, the upscale Pavilion Residence in Kuala Lumpur and the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya.
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad had on Tuesday said there were no plans to strike a deal with Najib, and that the former would carry on with his pledge to prosecute his predecessor in regards to the scandal-ridden state investment fund.
Search of Najib-linked premises continues
Astounding! Condo search nets 72 bags of cash, jewellery and 284 boxes of handbags
Police: Our motive is not to harass anyone in 1MDB probe
Police end search at Najib-linked luxury condo
Report: Cops counting cash, jewellery after second condo raid
Lawyer: Handbags and personal items seized from Najib's house
This is uncalled for! Source close to Najib slams police action
Police conduct marathon search at Najib's bungalow, all rooms inspected
