6 youths nabbed over alleged Islamic State-linked militant activities

2026-03-06 - 09:24

Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail said the suspects were found to have joined and created pro-Islamic State groups on WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord and several other online communication platforms. KUALA LUMPUR: Police arrested six individuals, aged between 16 and 21, last month for alleged involvement in Islamic State (IS) militant activities. Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail said the arrests were made in a special operation carried out on Feb 14 and 15 across the Klang Valley, Johor, Kedah and Terengganu. “As a result of the operation led by Bukit Aman’s Special Branch, six male suspects were arrested. Three of them are under the age of 18,” he told a press conference at the Bukit Aman federal police headquarters here today. Khalid said the suspects were believed to have planned attacks on police stations and public infrastructure. He said the operation was carried out following intelligence and information sharing that uncovered online extremist activities, including the spread of radical ideology, recruitment efforts, promotion of propaganda and plans for attacks involving youths and children. He said further investigations revealed that in addition to pledging allegiance to the IS leader, the suspects expressed support for the group, possessed IS-related materials, and actively promoted the terrorist organisation on social media. According to him, the suspects joined and created pro-IS groups on WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord and several other online communication platforms. Khalid said searches led to the seizure of equipment and materials linked to the IS group, including 11 mobile phones, two laptops, one external hard disk, four IS flags, one shirt bearing the group’s logo, and three books with extremist ideology. The investigations also found that the suspects’ exposure to social media content related to warfare and geopolitical crises in the Middle East, as well as online games, particularly Roblox, contributed to the development of radical ideas among them at a young age. Khalid said the arrests and seizures were carried out in accordance with procedures under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), while respecting the suspects’ rights under the Child Act 2001 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. He said the suspects are being investigated under Chapter VIA of the Penal Code for terrorism-related offences and Sosma. “The prosecution has agreed to charge all the suspects with various offences under relevant sections of the Penal Code, including promoting a terrorist organisation, being or claiming membership in a terrorist group, and possessing materials linked to a terrorist organisation,” he said.