Khalid
KUALA LUMPUR: Three suspected Islamic State (IS) militants were detained as the authorities began a crackdown of their activities in Johor and Selangor.
Two other men, members of the now defunct Imam Mahdi movement, were also arrested in a special operation conducted by the Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division between Nov 9 and Nov 13.
Among those arrested were a 40-year-old former Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGVH) senior officer and staff of the Health Ministry.
All the suspects, ages between 28 and 40, were detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma).
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said two of the suspects, including an Indonesian man, who were arrested in Johor, worked at a canteen of the Health Ministry’s pharmacy in Petaling Jaya.
“They were planning to head to Syria to join the IS,” he said in a statement Monday.
Khalid said the former FGVH officer left the company under the Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) in August.
“The suspect went to Turkey on Oct 21 to gain safe passage to Syria. His travels were arranged by a Somalian national he met on Twitter.
“However, he was arrested by Turkish authorities on Oct 25 along with nine other foreigners before being deported back to Malaysia,” he said.
One of the suspects connected to the Imam Mahdi group was a 28-year-old man who was planning attacks in the Klang Valley and was willing to kill anyone, including family members who got in their way, added Khalid.
“The other suspect, a 30-year-old man, is also a member of the Al-Ghuraba cell of Jemaah Islamiyah,” he said.
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