KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 5— Police have arrested five male suspects including a European teacher in Penang over suspected terrorist links, according to Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.
The arrests were conducted by the counter-terrorism and special branch units between November 17 to December 1 in Selangor, KL, Kelantan and Johor.
“Four of the suspects are foreigners and one is a Malaysian,” Khalid said in a statement.
The 44 year-old European, who worked as temporary teacher in Penang was arrested on suspicion of links to al-Qaeda and involvement in terrorist activities in Afghanistan and Bosnia.
Three of the five individuals arrested are allegedly members of a cell group linked to IS, and are said to be responsible for recruiting volunteers to take part in terrorist activities overseas.
“For these three suspects, they will be investigated under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) 2012 (Act 474).
“The two other suspects are arrested under the 1959/63 Immigration Act for the purpose of deportation,” IGP Khalid added.
In August, 10 suspected IS members were arrested by the police in multiple raids across the country, among them six members of the country’s security forces, a former interior designer and a kindergarten teacher.
Authorities have so far identified 39 Malaysians in Syria and Iraq.
