Three foreigners suspected of being involved in international terrorism have been deported back to their countries of origin, the Kuala Lumpur High Court was informed today.

They were among the 10 individuals detained in January under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for alleged links with international terrorist organisations.

The latest to be deported was Khalid Saleem Mohammed, from Yemen on Mar 6, while the nationalities of the other two deported foreigners are unknown.

This was revealed by deputy public prosecutor Mahmud Abdullah at the habeas corpus hearing of eight of the individuals - seven foreigners and one Malaysian.

Mahmud had raised it in his preliminary objection that the detainees are no longer in police custody and that the foreigners have been handed over to the immigration authorities awaiting deportation.

Malaysia's Azzahari Murad, however, has been placed under restricted residence order in Petaling Jaya, said Mahmud.

He also argued that as the foreigners are no longer in police custody, therefore, the habeas corpus application to examine their detention has become academic.

Lead defence counsel Amer Hamzah Arshad, however argued that the lawyers were not allowed to meet with their clients to confirm their deportation.

He told High Court Judge Ghazali Cha that the defence has also not been informed of Azzahari's restricted residence order which was just issued this morning.

Isn't ISA meant for national security?

Moreover, Amer said that the action taken by the government to deport the foreigners at the eleventh hour was "more than contemptuous".

He also questioned the government's action in invoking the ISA to detain the alleged international terrorists when the act is only meant to maintain internal national security.

He added that it was a "deliberate attempt to undermine the course of justice".

The judge has fixed tomorrow for decision on whether to proceed with the habeas corpus application .

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein had earlier stated that the foreigners were on the "most wanted" lists not only in their home countries in Yemen, Syria, Nigeria and Jordan, but also of intelligence agencies and anti-terrorist organisations.

However, the claim was refuted by the respective diplomatic missions of the detainees' country of origin and the foreigners were all students in public universities in Malaysia holding valid student visas at the time of their arrest.