JOHOR BARU, March 8 — A 26-year-old man was arrested for impersonating an elite army special forces commando at a budget hotel in Larkin Perdana here yesterday.

Police came across the suspect during a routine check at the budget hotel at 4.20am where he was asked to produce his identity card.

A police source said the suspect gave his identity card and claimed that he was a special forces commando attached with the 11 Special Force Regiment (11 Rejimen Gerak Khas) in Camp Iskandar, Mersing.

"The suspect who seemed confident also verbally gave his "military service number” and base address in Mersing to the five-man police team.

"However, police detained the suspect when he was only able to provide his civilian identity card and failed to show his white armed forces identity card,” the source told Malay Mail today.

Initial investigations revealed that the suspect was knowledgeable about military jargon as well as regiment bases.

The 11 Special Force Regiment in Mersing, Johor is an elite army commando unit which conducts special operations missions for the government, such as direct action, unconventional warfare, sabotage, counter-terrorism and intelligence gathering.

The source said the suspect was then brought to the Royal Military Police Corps garrison here where military police personnel checked his service records and confirmed that he was not enlisted as a commando or armed forces personnel.

"The suspect then admitted that he disguised himself as a commando after being questioned by military police officers.

"The suspect was handed back to police, and investigators raided his hotel room and seized a special forces digital camouflage uniform, Gerak Khas green beret and also the suspect’s fake armed forces photo with a military serial number,” the source said.

Further checks showed the suspect did not possess any firearms or illegal items.

"The suspect did not have any criminal record and investigations are underway to find out why he was impersonating a commando,” said the source.

Police have detained the suspect for investigations under Section 170 of the Penal Code for impersonating a civil servant and also Section 16 of the Minor Offences Act 1955 (for unlawful possession of military, naval, air force or police items).