Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the police have detained three more Malaysians, suspected to be involved in terrorism activities in Syria.

The suspects, aged between 23 and 36 years, were arrested by Bukit Aman’s Counter Terrorism Division, Khalid said in a media statement today.

The suspects are being investigated under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act, he added.

Khalid said the arrests were the result of a series of operations from Nov 27 to 28, conducted in Kuala Lumpur and Kedah.

“The 36-year-old had joined a militant group in Syria since Dec 28, 2013 and had returned to Malaysia on Apr 8,” he said.

The other two suspects, aged 23 and 28 have served as civil servants in a department in Kuala Lumpur and were suspected of channeling funds to Malaysians who wanted to join the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

On Oct 23, three men were charged with attempting to provide support to the IS militant group.

Architect Mohd Syafrein Rasid, 26, from Kuantan, Pahang; trader Mohd Rosmadi Che Daud, 42, from Ipoh, Perak; and engineer Mohamad Yusoffe Ishak, 26, from Arau, Perlis, were intercepted when they tried to board a flight to Istanbul, Turkey.

In February last year, an Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee, Yazid Sufaat; a housewife, Halimah Hussein; and one Mohd Hilmi Hasim were detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012.

The suspects aged between 30 and 50s, were believed to have masterminded the recruitment of Malaysian individuals for terrorism-related activities.

Malaysia ranked 48th in the latest Global Terrorism Index 2014, a huge leap from the 91st spot when the index was first introduced in 2012.

The report, released by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), ranks countries according to the impact of terrorist activities as well as analysing the economic and social dimensions associated with terrorism.

The index scores 162 countries, covering 99.6 per cent of the world’s population and examines trends between 2000 and 2013.