KUALA LUMPUR: Six individuals, including two women, were arrested in five states earlier this year over suspected ties to the Islamic State (IS).
The police's Special Branch Counter-Terrorism division said the six were picked up between March 24 and April 25 in Kelantan, Selangor, Malacca, Johor, and Penang.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said two men, aged 24 and 41, were nabbed in Kelantan on March 24 and 25.
Khalid said they were involved in the smuggling of weapons from southern Thailand for the use of IS militants in Malaysia.
On April 4, police arrested a 26-year-old woman at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
The medical lab student, who was studying at a local institution in the Klang Valley, had departed for Turkey in Aug last year and was planning to join IS in Syria.
Khalid said Turkish authorities arrested her on Feb 5 while she was waiting for instructions from Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi to cross into Syria.
On April 20, police nabbed a 41-year-old man and 32-year-old woman in Malacca and Johor, respectively.
Khalid said the unemployed man was once involved with IS in Syria, while the woman, who is an engineer’s assistant, had promoted IS via the Google+ application.
On April 25, police picked up another 41-year-old unemployed man in Penang. He was active in promoting IS through his 15 Facebook accounts since 2014. Khalid said he had planned to launch an attack at a Shiah mosque in Penang.
Meanwhile, police are hot on the trail of a man identified as Muhammad Muzaffa Arieff Junaidi, 27.
Muzaffa is said to have links with the duo who were arrested in Kelantan.
Khalid said Muzaffa, who is armed, had fled the police on March 22 to southern Thailand, via Sungai Golok.
Those with information on Muzaffa are urged to contact Inspector Mohd Badri Othman at 011-2692489.