Suspect in Atyrau double murder detained on Indonesian island

Police have detailed the alleged actions of a 29-year-old man suspected of murdering a married couple in the Atyrau region last November. According to investigators, Sultan Sarsemaliev planned the crime motivated by financial gain and long-standing domestic conflicts.

Following the murders, he is accused of burying the victims' bodies under an outbuilding on a property, attempting to clean up evidence, and taking money and other belongings from the deceased.

The suspect was apprehended far from the scene of the crime. Officers from Kazakhstan's Ministry of Internal Affairs, working with international counterparts, located and detained Sarsemaliev in Senaru village on the Indonesian island of Lombok. He is suspected of committing a particularly serious crime under Part 2 of Article 99 of Kazakhstan's Criminal Code—the murder of two or more persons.

His ex-wife was also detained alongside him. She had previously been reported missing and was listed as wanted internationally. Authorities are now working on extraditing both detainees back to Kazakhstan to face further investigation.

Investigative details reveal that Sarsemaliev allegedly dug a pit approximately 1.5 meters deep. He placed the woman's body on top of the man's, covered them with earth, laid linoleum over the site, and positioned a sofa on top in an attempt to conceal the grave.

Bloodstains were found on the bodies of the spouses. While investigators are considering strangulation as a possible cause of death, final conclusions will be made following official forensic examinations.