KUALA LUMPUR: Scores of reporters and cameramen are on standby outside the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex as alleged Israeli "hitman" Shalom Avitan arrived to be charged.
Reporters were seen gathering outside the building compound as early as 6.45am on Friday (April 12) before a police convoy entered the court compound at 8.09am.
Avitan was brought in an armoured police truck, escorted by six other police vehicles.
Clad in a black t-shirt, cargo pants and a black face mask, Avitan was brought into the courthouse at 8.11am.
ALSO READ: Suspected Israeli spy to be charged today
He was escorted into the building by police personnel armed with submachine guns.
Avitan had his head hanging low as he was escorted into the building.
He is expected to be charged under the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today morning.
Federal CID director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain was also seen entering the courthouse.
He was seen wearing plain clothes and a cap when he entered following the heavily guarded suspect.
Avitan was arrested at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur on March 27.
Police seized six pistols including a Sig Sauer, two Glocks, a Stoeger and a Smith & Wesson at the hotel room.
At least 200 bullets were also seized when the suspect was arrested.
Since then sixteen other suspects have been arrested in connection with the same case.
In the latest development, police detained 12 other individuals after investigating 38-year-old Avitan, a local married couple aged 42 and 40 who sold the pistols to Avitan and another man who was Avitan's driver.
The 12 were detained in raids conducted by a team from Bukit Aman CID, KL police and the Special Branch.
An Investigation by the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) also contributed to the successful arrests as some of the suspects dealt in cryptocurrency.
