Another 14 individuals nabbed, suspected of links to Daish militants - Police

Fourteen individuals, including a woman suspected of having links to Daish militants were arrested by police during an operation from Tuesday until Friday.

The operation was conducted by the Special Branch Counter Terorrism Division in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Perak, Kedah, Perlis and Johor following the arrest of 15 suspects from last March 22-24.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Noor Rashid Ibrahim said all the latest suspects detained were local residents, aged between 22 and 49 years.

"Out of the 14 suspects, seven worked in private firms, two are self-employed while the rest work as mechanic, labourer, karaoke centre waitress, laboratory assistant and aircraft technician.

"Eight suspects detained in Kuala Lumpur, Perlis, Perak, Selangor and Johor were suspected of involvement in channelling funds to the Daesh militants and Abu Sayyaf terrorists in southern Philippines," he said in a statement here today.

Noor Rashid said all of the suspects had links with Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi, the Daesh militant from Malaysia in Syria who is actively recruiting new Daesh militants in Malaysia and threatened to kill Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and top police officers.

One of the suspects, who is a family member of Muhammad Wanndy, was suspected of using his bank account to collect funds to be channelled to the Daesh militants in Syria, he said.

He said two more suspects arrested in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor were alleged to have use their Facebook accounts to promote the Daesh militants while another one made his house as a gathering point to spread the group's ideology.

"Two other suspects detained in Selangor were planning to enter Syria to join the Daesh militants in July and August last year," he said.

He said another suspect was arrested on suspicion of actively promoting the Daesh militants while the female suspect who worked as a karaoke centre waitress was arrested in the federal capital on suspicion of planning to join them in Syria.

All the suspects were arrested on suspicion of committing offence under Chapter VIA - terrorism related offences, Penal Code (Act 574) and would be investigated in accordance with the procedures under the Security Offences (Special Measures) 2012 (Act 747).