Federal Special Branch counter-terrorism officers arrested an Egyptian national earlier this month, after reports that the man was attempting to establish a terrorist cell here in Malaysia came to their attention.
On October 13, the 50-year-old man, who was allegedly acquainted with Osama bin Laden, was arrested at an unnamed Selangor location.
In total, five individuals were taken in by police in anti-terror operations — three foreigners and two Malaysians.
According to sources, the Egyptian suspect is believed to have entered the country legally in May of this year, and was working at a local advertising agency.
Police report that he had spent five years with Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan between 1988 and 1993, later traveling to Canada, Azerbaijan and Pakistan using falsified documents. He is also alleged to have met with Osama bin Laden before the Al-Qaeda founder was killed in a 2011 US air strike.
Previously, he was imprisoned in both Egypt and Canada for his extremism and document forgery.
Airport official also detained another suspect of Middle Eastern descent on October 20 while he was attempting to enter the country. He is alleged to have made death threats against a diplomat currently stationed in Malaysia.
A third foreign suspect was also taken in this month, after police tied him to the Pakistani terror group, Lashkar-E-Taiba.
Two Malaysians have also been arrested: One, a Gombak woman accused of sending funds to well-known Malaysian militant Muhammad Wanndy, and the other, a telco manager found guilty of sending funds to another local militant fighting in Syria, Muhamad Fudhail Omar. He is also accused of sending money to Philippine terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf.
