KUALA LUMPUR: The police have arrested seven Filipinos and a Malaysian suspected to be involved in terrorism, including a Filipino who has beheaded captives of the Abu Sayyaf Group, it was disclosed yesterday.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the suspects were arrested in raids conducted between Oct 30 and Nov 12 in Sabah and Putrajaya by the Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division.
The Malaysian was the first to be arrested, in Putrajaya on Oct 30, he said in a statement, adding that the 38-year-old man had been an agent selling gold bullion.
“The suspect was involved in channelling funds to Akel Zainal (a Malaysian who had joined the Daesh terrorists in Syria) in 2017 to finance terrorist activities,” he said.
The second raid, on Nov 1 in Tenom, Sabah, resulted in the arrest of three Filipino suspects aged 27, 34 and 51 who worked as labourers, he said.
“They are members of the Abu Sayyaf Group involved in kidnapping for ransom in the southern Philippines and Sabah,” Mohamad Fuzi said, adding that the 34-year-old suspect had the skills to produce firearms for the group’s use.
According to him, on Nov 8, two more Filipinos, aged 35 and 46, were arrested in Ranau, Sabah. One was a labourer and the other a technician.
“The 35-year-old suspect had recruited children into the Abu Sayyaf Group and used them as human shields during the battles with the Philippine military in Basilan, southern Philippines.
“He was also involved in beheading captives of the group. The two were caught before their planned escape to the southern Philippines to evade arrest by the Malaysian authorities,” he said.
Mohamad Fuzi said the fourth raid, on Nov 10 in Kinarut, Sabah, resulted in the arrest of a 30-year-old Filipino blacksmith who is an Abu Sayyaf Group commander and right-hand man of Furuji Indama, a senior leader of the group.
The fifth and final operation netted a 60-year-old Filipino ‘pasar malam’ (night market) trader in Tenom, Sabah, on Nov 12, he said.
He was sheltering a suspect who attempted to escape police arrest, he added. -Bernama
