Ten Malaysians have been arrested for fostering suspected links with the Islamic State group and planning attacks in the country, police said.
Advertisement
Among those arrested, six were members of security forces while two were civil servants.
Police also said they involved in recruiting Malaysians to join the IS in Syria, made arrangements to purchase firearms with the objective of organizing attacks in Malaysia, assisted in the return of IS suspects from Syria, and hid information on IS activities in the country.
Police Chief Khalid Abu Bakar said in a statement yesterday that the suspects, aged between 24 and 42, were detained on Wednesday after simultaneous operations in six states, including in Perlis, Perak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Negri Sembilan and Malacca. Two women were among the suspects, he added.
Malaysia tightened security in April after police arrested 29 ISIS suspects who were in the final stages of planning to blow up strategic buildings in Kuala Lumpur and the administrative capital of Putrajaya.
Muslim-majority Malaysia practises a moderate brand of Islam and has not seen any notable terror attacks in recent years.
But despite these efforts, the number of Malaysians joining the Islamic State militant group has continued to grow.
Khalid had previously said the trend among Malaysians launching attacks in the country upon getting instructions from senior Isis members in Syria was worrying.
A video emerged in April of young Malay-speaking boys, possibly also Indonesian, attending religious classes and engaging in weapons training in ISIS-held territory in either Iraq or Syria.
Advertisement
Malaysian militants have used Facebook and other social media sites to lure recruits, attracting thousands of followers online.
