Wanted criminal Abdul Karim Abdullah @ Kannan could not have died in a more 'appropriate' place - at a cemetery.

He was shot dead by the police at a Chinese cemetery at Jalan Lapangan Terbang Lama in Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur early this morning.

Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Mustafa Abdullah told Bernama that the 37-year-old Kannan is believed to be hiding at the cemetery since police launched a manhunt for him two weeks ago.

He was high on the police wanted list for involvement in two murders in Kuala Lumpur on June 29 and July 2.

Fired at police

The notorious criminal, armed with a revolver, fired two shots at a four-member police team which cornered him at the cemetery in a special operation at about 4am, he said.

Kannan is the prime suspect in the murder of his brother-in-law V. Surendran, 37, at Sri Sentosa Flats in Brickfields on July 2.

Kannan is also the younger brother of S Gunalan better known as "Billiard", henchman of the country's notorious criminal P. Kalimuthu or "Bentong Kali", who was gunned down by police on June 29, 1993.