KUALA LUMPUR (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Seven suspected Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants who were planning attacks on strategic locations in Malaysia have been detained in multiple swoops since Friday, police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said on Sunday (Jan 24).
One of the suspects had received orders from Indonesian militant Bahrun Naim, believed to be the mastermind of the Jan 14 attacks in Jakarta, the Inspector-General of Police said in a statement. Another had received orders from known militant Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi, he added.
"The suspects were planning attacks on strategic locations in the country," he said in a statement Sunday (Jan 24). They were detained in Johor, Kedah, Pahang, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur by the Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division.
One of the two suspects arrested in Johor was working as a hotel assistant manager in Nusajaya while the other was a store caretaker at a factory.
"Two other suspects were detained in Kedah. One of them, a 50-year-old cendol seller, is responsible for acquiring funds to cover expenses for those intending to join the IS (ISIS)," said Mr Khalid.
"The money is also for funding attacks in Malaysia. The other suspect nabbed was the cendol seller's assistant, who is from Terengganu."
Three remaining suspects, including a security guard, were detained in Gombak (Selangor), Kuala Lumpur and Pahang respectively.
Among the items seized were 30 bullets of different calibres, books on jihad (Islamic holy war), ISIS flags and a propaganda video.
The suspects were detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) 2012.
