Malaysia Arrests 6 IS Suspects, 1 Flees to Thailand

Malaysian police Wednesday announced the recent arrests of six Islamic State (IS) suspects and said they had warned Thai authorities about a seventh one, an alleged firearms smuggler, who fled across the border into southern Thailand.

The arrests occurred in several Malaysian states from late March to late April and the suspect at-large, 27-year-old Muhammad Muzaffa Arieff Junaidi, escaped to Thailand by crossing the Golok River along the border on March 22, Malaysia’s police chief said. The suspect was armed with an M4 carbine assault rifle and pistol.

One of the six suspects in custody was a 26-year-old female college student in the Malaysian capital, who was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on April 4 after being deported by Turkish authorities, Police Inspector-General Khalid Abu Bakar said in a statement.

“The woman had left the country for Turkey on Aug. 29, 2016, to join IS in Syria. On Feb. 5, she was nabbed by Turkish authorities while awaiting orders from Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi to enter Syria,” Khalid said, referring to a Malaysian IS militant based in Syria.

The suspect on the run, Muhammad Muzaffa, hails from the village of Gertak, Rantau Panjang, in Kelantan state, which lies just across Malaysia’s border with Thailand, Khalid said, adding that two other members of Muzaffa’s weapons-smuggling cell were nabbed in the same state days later.

Across the border in Thailand’s insurgency-wracked Deep South, Lt. Gen. Piyawat Nakwanich, the commander of the 4th Army regional command, said police and military were searching for Muzaffa.

Malaysian police released the picture of suspect Muhammad Muzaffa Arieff Junaidi, who is believed to have fled to southern Thailand on March 22. [Courtesy of Malaysian police]

“We know that there are natural passes between Thailand and Malaysia, but I don’t want the public to get panicky because it can be false information,” Piyawat told reporters, adding, “Violence in Deep South certainly has nothing to do with the IS.”

In Bangkok, Thai Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-o-cha said no Thais were involved with the Middle East-based extremist group Islamic State and that the government was prepared to deal with the suspect if he were caught.

“The security officials are looking into this issue, and if we find him, we will coordinate to send him back. It is sensitive so I don’t want to disclose that much information,” Prayuth told reporters at Government House on Wednesday.