Police looking into possibility that arrested Israeli is a spy - IGP

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain also did not deny the possibility that the suspect, known as Shalom Avitan acted as a coordinator or an armourer, adding that a detailed investigation was vital to determine the real reasons behind his possession of six pistols.

"What we can see currently is a foreigner entering Malaysia and how he could obtain weapons in a matter of a few days of being here. This is needed for national security and public order.

"I see (the impact of having) six firearms. That's why I said that the investigation must be comprehensive. If (perhaps) there's intention to create chaos, if he was not arrested, during Hari Raya he (causes) havoc, won't we all be disturbed?" he said during a special media conference at Bukit Aman here today.

Razaruddin said investigations revealed that the six pistols were obtained from Thailand and purchased at a price of RM10,000 each.

"The firearms were taken from Thailand... so I have to admit there're weaknesses there (in the border area) that allowed the firearms to be brought into the country," he said, adding the police would boost controls at the border, especially in areas under the General Operations Force (GOF) to avoid leakages and smuggling of contraband.

Razarudin also shared that the suspect entered the country using a valid French passport, so he was not stopped.

"The man's address in the passport was in (Israel) and when he entered the country using the French passport, we did not object as we assumed the individual was of the same nationality as his passport," he said.

On the relationships between the suspect and the local married couple, 42 and 40, arrested at their residence in Kuala Selangor, he said they did not know each other, but declined to comment on how the suspect interacted with them as well as how the firearms were handed over.

He also shared that the police were looking for at least two more individuals, including a foreigner who assisted in the procurement of the firearms, adding that the Israeli man was remanded till Sunday to facilitate investigations under Section 12 of the Passport Act 1966 and Section 7 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 191, while the married couple have been remanded till Friday.

-- BERNAMA