Tight security as Tapah cops celebrate Police Day

TAPAH: Police Day was celebrated amidst tight security here following the arrests of nine Islamic State (IS) militants, including a restaurant helper who wanted to bomb the Tapah district police headquarters.

Police is not taking IS threats lightly. Security is number one concern, said OCPD Supt Som Sak Din Keliaw.

“Following the arrest of the nine militants, we made the decision to beef up the security in and around the district police headquarters during our Police Day celebration.

“We are also more stringent when checking those entering and exiting the district police headquarters. These steps are in addition to the numerous safety measures put into place at police premises nationwide last year following threats by IS militants,” he said yesterday.

It was reported that the 31-year-old restaurant helper, who was arrested on March 17, had spent months planning to bomb the police district headquarters here by getting explosives from an IS cell in Indonesia.

Having learned to make a car bomb from the Internet, he had planned to place it in a car next to an oil storage tank at the Tapah bus station, which is near the police building, before detonating it.

He and a 28-year-old veterinary clinic owner from Ipoh were arrested in Perak by the Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division in a police swoop that included Selangor, Kedah, Kelantan and Johor between March 15 and 21.

The others arrested included a Puspakom technician, a 37-year-old primary school teacher, two security guards, a mechanic, a cybercafe worker and a resort worker.

Perak CID chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Gan Tian Kee said the situation at all police headquarters throughout the state, including Tapah, was well under control.

“We will continue to strengthen our security, although this is not something new as we have already started doing so in all police formations last year,” he said after attending the state police headquarters Police Day celebration in Ipoh.

SAC Gan handed out appreciation certificates to 177 police personnel and civilians as well as Police Inte­grity Awards to three officers.

Asked if police had received any threats from terrorist groups, SAC Gan said he was not at liberty to disclose such information as police were still investigating the case.