KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 ― Four Sri Lankan nationals have been detained by Malaysian police on suspicion of planning attacks in their home nation and for attempting to revive the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) movement in Malaysia.
Bukit Aman’s counter terrorism unit had nabbed the four in a simultaneous operations in the capital city and Selangor yesterday, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said in statement posted on Facebook.
The suspects are alleged to be using Malaysia as a base to plan their operations, to spread LTTE propaganda and as a transit point, Khalid said.
“Among the items confiscated in the operation include a large number of fake passports of various countries and a faked official stamp from the Malaysian Immigration Department and several foreign missions,” he added.
One of the suspect is believed to an explosives expert carrying a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) card.
The second suspect is believed to have been involved in attempts to assassinate Sri Lanka’s former president, Chandrika Kumaratunga on December 18, 1999 by suicide bombing.
The third was arrested on suspicion of being involved in attacks on Sri Lanka’s mission offices in Bangalore and Chennai in India, along with another another Sri Lankan national detained on May 14.
The fourth suspect is believed to have been gathering and transmitting information to the LTTE to plan the separatist movement’s next attacks.
“Out of the 14 LTTE terrorists arrested since 2009, seven held UNHCR cards,” Khalid said, adding that terrorists are strengthening their operations by exploiting the UNHCR card to avoid arrest.
