14 preparing to join Islamic State arrested - IGP

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the suspects comprised students, labourers and factory workers.

A statement by the IGP also confirmed that among those who were nabbed include a family of five and a Form Two student.

They are being investigated under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).

"They were arrested based on police surveillance on their preparation to head for Syria, via Turkey," he told reporters after launching the Strategic Collaboration between the Royal Malaysian Police and MyTeksi.

He said the police had also identified a number of individuals responsible for recruiting them but declined to elaborate as they were still under investigations.

"We spotted them through social networking sites like Facebook on the internet, they mostly go there on their own at their own expense," said Khalid.

He said police had also informed the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to block or shut down sites believed to be involved with militant groups in Syria.

So far, 22 Malaysians, including three women have been detected to be with militant groups in Syria, and 23 others have been nabbed for alleged links with the groups.

Since the police detected the involvement of Malaysians in militant activities in Syria, five of them have been killed and six injured.

In another development, Khalid, when asked to comment on the automated teller machine (ATM) hacking syndicate, said the police had been working closely with Interpol to ascertain whether it had fled abroad.

The syndicate members, believed to be from Latin America, were reported to have hacked into 17 ATMs in Selangor, Johor Baharu and Melaka last month, involving losses totalling nearly RM3 million.

The group is believed to have hacked the ATM system using mobile phone sim cards and advanced mobile phone technology, but no account holder has reported losing money.

On the grenade attack in front of a nightclub at the Sun Complex, Bukit Bintang last Thursday, Khalid said the police had identified the group involved.

He declined comment except to say that there were several witnesses to be called up to assist in the investigations.