Seven Islamic State (IS) suspects, including two women, have been arrested by Malaysian counter-terrorism police during a sting operation conducted between March 8 and 12 in Sabah and Selangor states. According to Malaysian Inspector-General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar, two out of the detainees are Malaysians and rest are Filipinos.
A report by The Straits Times states that two Filipinos, aged 27 and 18, were allegedly collecting funds for two Malaysian IS members, named Mahmud Ahmad and Mohamad Joraimee Awang Raimee, based in the southern Philippines since 2014. Another two Filipinos, a man and a woman, were believed to be involved in smuggling Indonesian IS members into the southern Philippines.
Moreover, another Filipino car mechanic from Sandakan was arrested after it was suspected that he was planning to go to Syria to join IS.
Meanwhile, one female Malaysian immigration officer was arrested after she was found involved in smuggling IS militants from Indonesia and Malaysia into the southern Philippines via Sabah state. The other Malaysian suspect, according to reports, has been deported back to Malaysia after he was arrested on 16 January by Turkish authorities for trying to enter Syria.
