SEVEN Islamic State (IS) suspects comprising two Malaysians and five Filipinos were arrested in Sabah and Selangor states during a counter-terrorism sting operation between March 8 and 12, Malaysian Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said yesterday.

    Among the seven suspects, a female Malaysian immigration officer and two Filipinos were arrested for helping to smuggle militants from Malaysia and Indonesia into southern Philippines via Sabah state to join an Islamic State (IS) cell.

    “The female Malaysian suspect, aged 31, who worked at the (Sabah) Sandakan airport as an officer who inspects immigration documents, is suspected of helping individuals without proper travel documents, including IS militants from Malaysia and Indonesia, to infiltrate and enter and depart for Philippines through Sabah,” said Khalid.

    This is the second time IS suspects have been arrested for attempting to smuggle militants into the southern Philippines, raising concerns Sabah is turning into a transit point for militants.

    Two other Filipino suspects, a woman aged 50 who worked as ferry ticket seller and a man aged 53 who worked as construction worker, were believed to have smuggled three Indonesian IS militants into Philippines via Sabah.

    Two other male Filipino suspects, aged 27 and 18, are believed to have been collecting funds for two Malaysian IS members, Mahmud Ahmad and Mohamad Joraimee Awang Raimee, who are based in southern Philippines since 2014.

    Mahmud is a former university lecturer who had joined up with the Philippine militant group, Abu Sayyaf, and pledged his allegiance to the group’s leader and the country’s most-wanted man, Isnilon Hapilon. Abu Sayyaf in turn has pledged allegiance to IS.

    Another Filipino suspect, who worked as a car mechanic in Sandakan, Sabah, was arrested for planning to go to Syria to join IS.(SD-Agencies)