The 36-year-old Israeli passport holder was heavily armed, in the possession of a bag containing six handguns and 200 bullets.
Police in Malaysia have arrested three people suspected of supplying firearms to an Israeli passport holder, who was detained earlier this week at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, the Middle East Monitor reported on Sunday.
According to an announcement by Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain on late Friday, the 36-year-old Israeli suspect was heavily armed, in the possession of a bag containing six handguns and 200 bullets. He is believed to have entered the country from the United Arab Emirates on March 12.
Although the Israeli suspect remains unnamed, the Times of Israel, citing Hebrew media reported that the suspect is an Israeli mobster Shalom Avitan.
Kepolisian Malaysia Tangkap Agen israel
Inspektur Jenderal Polisi Malaysia Tan Sri Razarudin Husein mengatakan bahwa pihaknya telah menangkap pria berusia 36 tahun, yang dicurigai sebagai agen intelijen israel. Hal ini membuat Kepolisian Kerajaan Malaysia dalam kondisi siaga… pic.twitter.com/UjXMAOpBII
— Lembayung Senja 🐾👣 (@Lembayungsyahdu) March 30, 2024
“He entered Malaysia on March 12 using a French passport, was arrested on March 27 and will be remanded until March 31 for further investigation,” Husain told reporters without naming the suspect. “During the probe, he handed us his Israeli passport.”
Husain said the police are investigating the possibility that Avitan could be a member of Israeli intelligence, though the suspect claimed he had entered Malaysia to look for another Israeli citizen due to a family dispute.
“However, we do not fully trust this narrative as we suspect there may be another agenda,” Husain said, adding that the detained man had moved between several hotels during his time in Malaysia.
Reuters news agency reported on Saturday that three Malaysians, including a married couple, were arrested on Friday and have been remanded for seven days on suspicion of supplying weapons and acting as a driver to the Israeli suspect. A pistol was also retrieved from a car belonging to the couple, he said.
Malaysian authorities have been put on high alert following the man’s arrest, with security beefed up for Malaysia’s king, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and other high-level figures, the agency reported, noting that the Muslim-majority country has been a staunch supporter of the Palestinians and a vocal critic of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
Malaysian Police have arrested an Israeli man in Kuala Lumpur and seized six firearms including a Sig Sauer, Glock-27, and Smith & Wesson, and 200 bullets.
Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain said the 36-year old suspect entered Malaysia using a French passport. -pixnet pic.twitter.com/l3eP0uxIQG
— Kuala Lumpur Reporter 🇲🇾 (@KL_Reporter) March 29, 2024
Turkiye: Information for Sale
In February, Turkish authorities arrested seven people suspected of selling information to the Israeli spy agency Mossad.
According to a Turkish security official, the intelligence, provided to the Israelis, was connected with tracking and monitoring local targets.
The official, speaking with Reuters on condition of anonymity, said that Turkish police and the country’s MIT intelligence agency had conducted joint operations in Istanbul and Izmir as part of an investigation by the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s office.
Ankara has previously warned Israel of “serious consequences” if it tries to hunt down members of the Palestinian Resistance group, Hamas, living outside the Palestinian Territories, including in Turkiye.
Information for Sale – Turkiye Arrest More Israeli Mossad Affiliates
Unlike most Western countries, Turkiye does not classify Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Tension between Ankara and Tel Aviv has increased since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza on October 7.
Last month, Turkiye arrested 33 people suspected of spying and planning espionage activities on behalf of Mossad.
(PC, MEMO)
