Malaysian police announced Friday it has arrested an Israeli citizen who allegedly entered the country to assassinate other Israelis. According to the police, there were 6 guns and 200 rounds of ammunition in his possession.
The Malaysian Police Chief Tan Sri Razarudin Husain stated that the arrest of the Israeli, 36, was made a day earlier, two weeks after he entered Malaysia through Kuala Lumpur International Airport, at the Jalan Ampang Hotel.
According to Malaysian authorities, the Israeli revealed during interrogation that he entered Malaysia using a French passport, and "after further investigation, he revealed an Israeli passport."
"The individual claimed he entered Malaysia to kill another Israeli due to a family dispute, but we are not buying into that story and are not ruling out other possibilities," said the Malaysian police chief at a press conference. Malaysian media suggested the possibility that the suspect might be an agent of a certain agency.
Israeli authorities reported that a citizen was indeed detained in Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country with no diplomatic relations with Israel, where Israelis are barred from entry. Officials indicated that the case is known and being handled.
The report of the arrest
According to the Malaysian police chief, the suspect purchased firearms using cryptocurrency. "The suspect claimed to have bought the firearms upon arrival here, and I can assess that this might be true as he arrived from the United Arab Emirates, where scrutiny is tight," Razrauddin added.
"We believe he did not act alone and had a local contact whom we have not yet identified," he continued. Three of the firearms found in the possession of the Israeli were loaded. Investigations revealed that during his two-week stay in Malaysia, he stayed in three different hotels.