KUALA LUMPUR • Malaysian police have found an incomplete improvised explosive device (IED) in a house in an upmarket residential area in Kuala Lumpur.
The device was found on Thursday night, after warnings were issued on social media the same day about bombs being planted at two locations in the capital - the KL Sentral transport hub and the Russian embassy.
City police chief Mazlan Lazim said the bomb squad inspected the object and confirmed that it was an incomplete IED.
The IED was found in the compound of a house in Bukit Damansara.
"A suspicious object was found at the house by a member of the public. Investigations are ongoing," said Datuk Seri Mazlan when contacted early yesterday.
According to the New Straits Times, a member of the public reported finding the explosive device at 5pm on Thursday but the police were informed of the matter only five hours later.
The find followed bomb threats, later found to be a hoax, aimed at KL Sentral and the Russian embassy by someone who claimed to have hacked into a Twitter account purportedly belonging to a Brazil-based marketing agency, Agencia iMais.
A message posted late on Thursday evening stated: "Hi this is limzhengyan. I want to inform you that there is a bomb within a Samsonite suitcase that is now placed at the concourse area inside KL Sentral. It is anticipated to go off very soon."
A follow-up message said that a second bomb had been smuggled into the Russian embassy and would detonate after the first one had gone off.
However, as of yesterday afternoon, both messages had been deleted from the account.
Mr Mazlan said there were no suspicious objects found at either location after sweeps were conducted by the police, using sniffer dogs and bomb disposal units.
"Checks at KL Sentral and the Russian embassy in Jalan Ampang were negative and the information regarding the threats is believed to be false. Investigations are being conducted together with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to identify the owner of the Twitter account," he said.
"The situation at both sites were calm and controlled. Members of the public with information regarding the incidents are urged to contact the police."
It is unclear if the two bomb threats made on Twitter were related to the incident in Bukit Damansara.
At KL Sentral on Thursday night, commuters and passers-by went about their business as usual, while police patrols were seen surveying the area for suspicious activities.
THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
