SIX men and two women have been arrested by police for alleged ties to the Islamic State terror group, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
Speaking to reporters at the Home Ministry, he said the suspects, including a retired lecturer, were arrested by Special Branch E8 (Counter-terrorism) policemen.
“The suspects, aged 25 to 70 years, were arrested in Johor, Kelantan, Perak and Selangor in an operation on June 22 and 23.
“They were arrested due to suspicions of being linked to Daesh and Islamic State (IS), and were follow-up arrests from previous operations conducted on May 15, 17 and 30,” he said.
He said investigations revealed that there were threats against His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, the prime minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) and other dignitaries, including the top brass of the police force.
Also present during the press conference was Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain and Special Branch deputy director (II) Datuk Abdul Aziz Abdul Majid.
Saifuddin said the eight suspects, aged between 25 and 70, have been detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma), and that the arrests were made following other operations by E8 on May 15, 17 and 30.
“The suspects came from various employment backgrounds and economic status and include a housewife, construction worker, former university lecturer and an unemployed individual,” he said.
He also reminded Malaysians to remain vigilant and aware of new threats from elements of extremism, radicalism and terrorism, which increasingly misuse modern technology and social media to spread dangerous ideologies.
He assured the public that there is no need to worry about the level of safety and public order in Malaysia. – June 24, 2024
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