Cops foil terrorist plot to attack non-Muslim houses of worship
Four men linked to an Islamic State 'wolf pack' cell were arrested during the first week of Ramadan in connection with a plot to attack non-Muslim places of worship and entertainment centres around Kuala Lumpur.
Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador said the four were also plotting to assassinate several "high-profile" individuals accused of failing to uphold Islam and insulting the religion...
Four men linked to an Islamic State 'wolf pack' cell were arrested during the first week of Ramadan in connection with a plot to attack non-Muslim places of worship and entertainment centres around Kuala Lumpur.
Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador said the four were also plotting to assassinate several "high-profile" individuals accused of failing to uphold Islam and insulting the religion.
The men, aged between 20 and 49, comprise a Malaysian who is alleged to be the leader of the group, two Rohingya, and one Indonesian.
Hamid (photo) told a press conference in Bukit Aman today that the group had plotted the attacks to seek "revenge" over the death of firefighter Mohamad Adib Mohd Kassim in the wake of the Seafield Sri Mahariamman Temple riots last November.
"The arrests also led to the seizure of a CZ 9mm pistol, 15 bullets and six improvised explosive devices, each approximately 18cm in length, smuggled in from a neighbouring country and intended for use in the planned attacks," he said.
According to Hamid, Bukit Aman's Counter-terrorism Unit had detected the cell earlier this month, and arrested the four men between May 5 and May 7 in Terengganu, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.
When quizzed about the identities of the high-profile individuals targeted by the group, Abdul Hamid replied that the information was "too sensitive for me to reveal".
He added that the cell had been in operation in January and largely communicated via WhatsApp.
Beyond the planned attacks on non-Muslim houses of worship, Hamid revealed that one of the Rohingya group members arrested had admitted to being a supporter of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.
The man, who was a refugee, aimed to launch an attack on the Myanmar embassy in Kuala Lumpur, as well as to return and fight in Rakhine state.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian member of the group was a 49-year-old factory worker who had planned to head to Syria.
All four suspects admitted to being a member of the IS cell, which is believed to be linked to a prominent Malaysian IS member in Syria.
Hamid said all four are suspected to have breached Chapter VIA of the Penal Code on offences related to terrorism and will be investigated according to procedures under Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012.
He added that police are also on the hunt for three other suspects - two Malaysian men with a last known address in Taman Bedong, Kedah, and an Indonesian with a last known address in Banting, Selangor.
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