Foreigners, Malaysian detained following counter-terrorism raid in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR — The four Pakistanis and a Malaysian who were caught with other foreigners’ passports and also parang in their possession during a raid in Nilai 3, Negri Sembilan, on Sunday will be detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).

The five were among 429 picked up during a major swoop by the Federal police Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division (SB-CTD) on Sunday (Aug 13).

SB-CTD principal assistant director Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the five were the only ones being detained under Sosma.

Under Sosma, those detained could be held for a maximum of 28 days to allow investigations to take place.

The three-hour operation on Sunday saw 742 shops in the area, known for its wholesale stores, checked by members of several enforcement agencies in a joint operation.

It included members of the General Operations Force, Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Department, Federal Reserve Unit, police Forensics Department, K9 unit, Special Action Unit, Bomb Disposal Unit, Civil Defence Force and Atomic Energy Licensing Board.

Those detained were taken to the Sepang police headquarters for a screening process based on the database of the Interpol Foreign Fighters Terrorist List as well as the Counter Terrorist List, among others.

So far, said Mr Ayob, there are no signs of possible foreign terrorist fighters (FTF) yet.

Out of the 429 people picked up, he said, 362 were released and another 57 others from Pakistan (33), Bangladesh (seven), Indonesia (six), India (five), Myanmar (four) and Egypt (two) were detained for various immigration offences.

Five others were detained on suspicion of being illegal immigrants in possession of falsified Malaysian identification documents and are being investigated by the National Registration Department.

The operation in Nilai was the third round of raids in the effort to weed out FTF in the country.

The first round was launched in the Masjid India area here, while the second round of raids was conducted in Cyberjaya.

The New Straits Times had reported in May that Malaysia had been made the unwitting receiver of foreign fighters who were prevented from entering Syria to fight alongside the Islamic State terror organisation.

Intelligence feedback received had suggested that there were no less than 30 people, including those flagged as “high risk”, who were stopped in their tracks from entering the country for their potential risk to national security. NEW STRAITS TIMES