KUALA LUMPUR: The Islamic State’s (IS) highly compartmentalised approach to planning terror attacks involving several cells in the country is making it difficult for police to gather intelligence and foil its plans.
Federal police Special Branch principal assistant director (counter-terrorism) Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said each IS cell would be given different roles and they would receive instructions from Malaysian IS leaders such as Mohammad Wanddy Mohamed Jedi.
“Each cell will differ in the number of operatives, and members from each cell will not know those from other cells. Every cell will be given a specific task, for instance, Cell A’s role is to secure a grenade and pass it on to Cell B, which will send the explosive device to a specific location, where it will be picked up by Cell C. There will be no physical meeting, so that is why these people will not know each other,” he told the New Straits Times.
This “field craft” technique of using “dead drops” was used by intelligence agencies, such as the Central Intelligence Agency and the former Soviet Union’s KGB during the Cold War.
This arrangement, said Ayob, hampered efforts to gather vital information, such as the groups’ accomplices, support cells and their targets.
“The compartmentalised approach to their operations makes it difficult for us to gather information as each cell will only have a small piece of the puzzle. The only person who has all the information will be Wanddy, who controls them,” he said, adding that the number of cells in the country would keep growing.
Another factor which makes things difficult for the Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division (SB-CTD) is the growing use of messaging applications to communicate and recruit among IS members.
“Most of the suspected militants that we have arrested are not new to the group. They have been in contact with IS for at least five to six months.
“Previously, it was easier for us to detect them but now, it gets tougher as they are using Twitter and Telegram to communicate.”
Ayob said SB-CTD operatives were required to obtain evidence before taking any action to arrest and prosecute suspects.
“Previously, under ISA, we could arrest them based on our intelligence. Now, we have to collect evidence for prosecution to happen, or else, we will have to release them.”
A third factor which troubles SB-CTD operatives is the emergence of “YouTube ulama”, who have been confusing Muslims into believing that the Salafi Jihadi teaching used by IS to justify their heinous acts is the right path.
“These people are being influenced by the Salafi Jihadi teaching used to justify the act of killing non-believers and to launch attacks against the government.
“These ‘YouTube ulama’ claim that it is an anti-terrorism ideology,” said Ayob, adding that Jemaah Islamiyah and al-Qaeda also subscribed to the Salafi Jihadi teaching.