KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 — Bukit Aman’s counter-terrorism unit have arrested seven people suspected with links to global terror group Islamic State (IS), including those involved in a planned attack on Malaysia, Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said today.

The suspects, all Malaysians aged between 26 and 50, were picked up during a three-day raid conducted in Kedah, Johor, Pahang, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur beginning Friday.

Khalid said the seven belong to the same cell with the four suspects arrested in relation to a suicide attack earlier this month.

“The seven suspects come from the same cell, they were responsible in planning attacks in strategic locations throughout Malaysia. One of them had also received instructions from Mohammad Wanddy bin Mohammad Jedi @ Abu Hamzah, the Malaysian who joined IS in Syria.

“Meanwhile another suspect had received instructions from Bahrom Naim, a senior leader of Khatibah Nusantara, the Indonesian in Syria responsible for instructing the Indonesian (IS) cell to launch the Jakarta bombings on Jan 14, 2016,” Khalid said in a statement.

Police seized 30 bullets, IS propaganda materials including videos, “jihad related books” and IS flags during the raids.

Among the suspects arrested are believed to be the leader of the cell from Johor and a cendol seller from Kedah who purportedly helps collect and finance Malaysians interested in joining the IS in Syria.

“The funds would have also been used to finance terror attacks in Malaysia,” Khalid added.

All seven had been arrested under the Special Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012.

A survey by local pollster Merdeka Center released in 2014 found that 71 per cent of Malays polled supported the Islamic penal code that imposes punishments like amputation for theft.

A Pew Research Centre study last year on the attitude of Muslims towards IS showed that 11 per cent of Malaysians supported the Muslim militant group that has claimed responsibility over the January 14 bombings in Jakarta, Indonesia, that killed four civilians and four terrorists.

The police recently arrested a 28-year-old man at an LRT station here, who was suspected of having travelled from Terengganu to stage a suicide attack at a karaoke outlet or a pub in Kuala Lumpur.

Two Malaysian suicide bombers blew themselves up separately in Iraq and Syria earlier this month, killing more than 30 people.