Security guards nabbed over IS connections

Fighting terror: Counter Terrorism Division personnel raiding the guardhouse in Kuantan to arrest the suspect.

KUALA LUMPUR: A security guard, who is an Indonesian with permanent residency status here, has been nabbed for suspected involvement with the Islamic State (IS).

He is one of three people detained for their alleged IS links after several raids here and in Pahang on Jan 27 and 29.

“He was working as a security guard at Malaysia Airlines Berhad,” said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

The 37-year-old Indonesian, he said, was arrested on Jan 27 in Kuantan.

“He had connections to Malaysian IS militants fighting in Syria. We also found that he had gone to Turkey in 2013,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division also seized an airsoft gun along with three volumes of books titled Tarbiyah Jihadiyyah.

“We discovered that he planned to bring his wife with him to Syria to join the IS there,” Khalid said.

No escape: The suspect being restrained by the policemen.

It was learnt that the man had been staying in Malaysia for 34 years.

Sources said the authorities were still investigating why he opted to work as a guard at MAS.

Khalid said a second suspect – a 32-year-old Malaysian – also worked as a security guard at a private company.

He was detained in Kuantan on Jan 27.

“We seized a ‘Trusty PM 4’ shotgun from him. He also had plans to go to Syria,” he said.

Khalid said third suspect – a 38-year-old Malaysian – was caught in Kuala Lumpur on Jan 29.

“He had threatened to attack the Negri Sembilan mufti department as he claimed it did not follow the teachings of Islam.

“He also threatened to bomb several locations in Kuala Lumpur,” he said.

Sources said the suspect, who is from Gemencheh, Negri Sembilan, had made the threats as he was enraged after he claimed a religious teacher in the state was wrongfully dismissed.

“Further checks by the authorities revealed that the teacher was spreading the salafi jihadi belief which is similar to the one spread by IS.

“He had also planned to bomb entertainment outlets in Malacca and Kuala Lumpur. He aimed to kill foreigners, especially from Western countries,” a source said.

The suspects are being held under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act.