The IGP said the terror suspects will be probed under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) over their suspicion of committing offences related to terrorism. — Picture by Miera Zulyana

KUALA LUMPUR, September 14 — The police have nabbed 10 terror suspects, including five who were plotting to attack entertainment outlets in Melaka, the inspector-general of police (IGP) announced today.

IGP Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the arrests by the Special Branch’s counter-terrorism division involved members of two terrorist cells.

He said the crackdown on the first terror cell — known as “Ar Rayah Member” and which cut across state borders — started with the arrest of the main suspect in Melaka on August 25, with the police then successfully nabbing the four other members on August 31 in Kelantan and Penang.

“The main suspect of this cell had planned to launch smoke bomb attacks at vice areas around Melaka. Also seized were five smoke bombs that have been processed.

“The smoke bomb attacks were intended to create a situation of panic and shock on visitors of entertainment centres with the hope that their panic would result in their injury,” he said in a statement today.

The IGP said the five nabbed ranged from 50 years old to as young as 18 years old, noting in particular that one of them was a 50-year-old foreigner who operated a restaurant.

“The suspect is a member of a terrorist group from a South-east Asian country that had acted to promote the struggle of that group to the members of the ‘Ar Rayah Member’ WhatsApp group.

“The suspect also played the role of influencing the group’s members to contribute funds for that terrorist group to buy weapons and bullets,” he added.

As for the other terrorist cell that also had members in different states, the IGP said the five suspects arrested had an age range of 39 to 53 years old.

Mohamad Fuzi said the members of this terror cell known as “Asoib” or “Pemuda Dari Timur” (Youths from the East) were from Selangor, Pahang, Johor and Terengganu.

He said this terror cell had plotted to join forces with a terrorist group in an unnamed Middle Eastern country to launch an attack in the latter country’s neighbour, with the cell expected to be supplied with weapons by the terrorists upon their arrival there.

“One of the Asoib members had left for that Middle Eastern country to make preparations and coordinate operations for the attack,” he said.

The IGP noted that the group had misinterpreted a hadith (or sayings ascribed to Muslims’ revered Prophet Muhammad) about Imam Mahdi, whom they believe will appear in Mecca this year.

He said the group had also planned to join the “Imam Mahdi Army” in attacking secular countries and opposing dajjal — or false messiah in Islamic terms.

For the 10 terror suspects, who were arrested in operations from August 11 to August 31, the IGP said they will be probed under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) over their suspicion of committing offences related to terrorism.