Counter-terrorism policemen rounding up some of the suspects in one of the operations. — Bernama photo
KUALA LUMPUR: A law lecturer at a public higher learning institution was among eight men detained for their alleged involvement in terrorist activities, in operations conducted between Sept 27 and yesterday in Selangor, Sabah and Perak.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the 35-year-old Albanian man was detained in Selangor by the Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division on Oct 1, as he was believed to have links to members of the Daesh terrorist group abroad.
The police also detained two Filipinos, two locals and a permanent resident from the Philippines, aged 30 to 53, on Sept 27 in Sandakan, Sabah.
“The five are believed to be involved in helping to bring in elements from the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) into Malaysia through Sabah. This operation is a follow-up to the arrest of seven individuals from the ASG cells on Sept 14 in Kuala Lumpur,” he said in a statement.
On Oct 6 two ex-convicts were arrested under the Special Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 in Tapah, Perak. They were previously arrested on Feb 7, 2013 for engaging in terrorist activities.
The first suspect, aged 53, who had been detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) had also undergone a detention order under the Internal Security Act 1960 for seven years.
He was believed to have been recruiting prisoners in the Tapah prison to join a terrorist group and planned to launch attacks on Muslim, Christian and Hindu houses of worship to spark inter-religious conflicts in the country.
“The suspects is also believed to be withholding information about one of the members of the Tandzim al-Qaeda Malaysia (TAQM) group, who is wanted by the police,” Mohamad Fuzi said.
Another 37-year-old detainee was also suspected of recruiting two Malaysians to join the TAQM group, he said. — Bernama