KUALA LUMPUR: Police yesterday nabbed a religious school student who had dressed up in Islamic State (IS) attire and held a woman at knifepoint in a supermarket in Sungai Petani, Kedah.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the 16-year-old teenager was brainwashed by IS through social media.
"The boy was dressed up in IS attire when he held the woman at knife point.
"Investigation showed the teenager did not mean to hurt the woman but this (his action) showed that he was capable of doing a lot more.
"People should know that the threats are real," he said.
The teenager was later detained by the Kedah Criminal Investigation Department at the supermarket at about 8.30pm.
The case is being investigated under The Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012.
Meanwhile, Special Branch director Mohamad Fuzi Harun said to date, intelligence revealed at least 47 Malaysians who joined the Islamic State are in Syria and Iraq.
"This includes 12 women.
"Before this there were 55 of them but eight had come back, were arrested and charged accordingly.
"From the report we received, at least eight Malaysian kids are being recruited there to be their future fighters," said Fuzi.
Some of the family members of the militants, he said, asked for the police's help to lure them to come back but the militants do not want to.
Through initial investigation, at least 17 Malaysians were killed including six suicide bombers.