A 42-year-old auxiliary police officer was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in the rest area of Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) earlier today.

In an incident that occurred around 9:30 am, the male victim was discovered by a colleague, slumped in a bloodstained state on a rest area chair.

The victim was reportedly still alive when found, but medical personnel from Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), who arrived at the scene around 10 am, confirmed the victim's passing at the location.

A team of police officers from the State Police Headquarters (IPK) and the Kota Kinabalu District Police Headquarters (IPD) were present at the scene to conduct further investigations.

Also present at the scene was the Chief of the Special Crime Investigation Division (D9) of Sabah's State Police Headquarters, Superintendent Alhusin Halil.

Meanwhile, the Chief of the Sabah Criminal Investigation Department, Senior Assistant Commissioner (SAC) Azmi Abd Rahim, confirmed the incident.

"The victim was taken to the Forensic Unit of QEH for further action. The case regarding the incident is still under police investigation," he said.