KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 ― Malaysian authorities in colaboration with their counterparts in China have arrested 28 suspected Chinese-national Islamic State (IS) militants since 2013, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealed yesterday.
Malay broadsheet Utusan Malaysia quoted Zahid from Beijing saying those arrested were on their way to Iraq, Syria and Turkey and had used Malaysia as a transit point in a bid to confuse the authorities.
Zahid, who is also the Home Minister, added that the 28 arrested were part of 260 other suspects arrested under the Special Measures Against Terrorism in Foreign Countries Act 2015, introduced as a way to tackle terrorism plots abroad.
“From 2013 to 2016, 260 people have been arrested because of their involvement as members, recruiters, funders or supporters of militant group Daesh,” Zahid was quoted saying, using the Arabic acronym for IS.
“From that number, 30 of them were foreigners and the rest Malaysians,” he said during an official visit to Beijing yesterday.
Zahid said the arrest succeeded thanks to intelligence-sharing between the Royal Malaysian Police and their Chinese counterparts.
“They are believed to be members of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement that was created by Uighur militants in West China,” he explained.
Zahid added that the Chinese government have expressed their support and thanks for the arrests.
