How 3 Suspected ISIS Fighters Were Nabbed By Malaysian Authorities
Police are keeping an eye on two other amid fears that they may promote extremist ideology.
By Sadho Ram — 09 Nov 2014, 03:12 PM — Updated about 10 years ago
On Saturday, Malaysian police arrested three suspected Islamic State fighters after they returned from the Middle East to Malaysia
Seen here are fighters from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant marching in Raqqa, Syria.
Image via ria.ruAs per a The Strait Times report, published on 8 November, five suspected ISIS fighters returned to Malaysia. While three of them have been nabbed by the police, two are still at large
The three included Mohamad Fauzi, also known as Abu Dayyan, New Straits Times (NST) reported. The newspaper described him as a "Tier One personality".
Prior to his return on Oct 27, he had been moving in Syria with another Malaysian known as Abu Naeem, who was described as a "commander of all operations" in a propaganda video by the ISIS, NST reported.
While the whereabouts of the remaining returning ISIS fighters is unclear, sources said they were under police surveillance
The authorities told the newspaper that the two men are under surveillance, amid concern that they could become recruiters for the extremist Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group, which also calls itself Islamic State.
Why are these ISIS fighters returning home?
The three Malaysians claimed during interrogation that they returned as they were unhappy about fighting alongside different militant groups in Syria, with the slightest disagreements at times leading to gunfights. They also claimed to their investigating officers that they had to come home to take care of family matters.
Their return has raised alarm as authorities have said the fighters from the battlefront might promote their extremist ideology to others or become local militant leaders
A worry for the police is that several more battle-hardened Malaysian militants could have returned home, as they could have slipped through the screen of international law enforcement agencies.
"It is hard for police to ascertain how many of them have come back, when their going to Syria was not properly tracked," a police source told New Straits Times.
Officials have said that at least 37 suspects linked to ISIS have been detained since April but more, including key recruiters, remain at large. The Home Ministry will propose an anti-terrorism law soon to strengthen existing legislation to allow early prevention of recruitment.