M'sia woman reportedly dismembered, body parts found in & around housing estate rubbish dump

A woman in Malaysia is believed to have been dismembered after body parts were found in and around a public housing estate's rubbish dump.

The incident occurred in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, The Star reported, adding that a trash collector first found a severed arm at the dumpsite on Feb. 12, 2026.

At around 6:30am to 7am, the arm fell out of the trash bag, which prompted the trash collector to immediately lodge a police report.

The New Straits Times (NST) reported that a human leg, from the foot to the thigh, was also found by workers after they inspected the bin further.

Body parts

Upon receiving the report around 8am, teams of investigators, as well as the K-9 unit, were sent to the scene.

A few hours after receiving the report, police subsequently found a head and torso around 11.40am at a site not too far away from the first location.

Based on initial information, the victim was believed to have been dismembered into at least seven parts using a sharp tool, The Star reported, adding that her body parts were then bagged and thrown in different locations.

A police officer said in a statement that the body parts found are believed to belong to the same person.

As of Feb. 12, the authorities are still searching for her remaining body parts, including a right arm and a left leg, according to NST.

However, the victim has yet to be identified, said the police officer, who added that efforts to find the victim's next of kin are ongoing.

Murder investigation

Following this, China Press reported that the police have since cordoned off the area for investigation.

This case is being investigated for murder, and police have reasons to believe that the woman might have been killed and dismembered elsewhere before she was dumped in the area, according to The Star.

In addition, the cause of death, motive, modus operandi and other related matters are being investigated.

The body parts have since been sent to a hospital's forensics unit, with a post-mortem scheduled to be conducted at 8:30am on Feb. 13.

The Star reported that those with information regarding the case are urged to contact the authorities at 012-310 6882 or 088-529222, said the police officer who assured that "all information and identity of those who come forward will be kept private and confidential".

In light of this incident, a police chief said further investigations are ongoing and urged the public not to speculate on this matter, Bernama reported.

Top photos via China Press