KUALA LUMPUR – The Israeli national who was arrested with six firearms of various types at a hotel in Jalan Ampang, here yesterday, is alleged to be a member of a notorious crime family from the Jewish state.
According to a report by the Times of Israel today, the 38-year-old man is said to be an associate of the Musli brothers crime family and was allegedly en route to assassinate the head of a rival syndicate.
The report also claimed that the two organised crime gangs have been engaged in a violent feud for months, pointing to an explosion in Israel in December last year which was believed to be an attack on family members of a corporate figure linked with the criminal underworld.
Citing Israeli television channel Channel 12, the report said that the suspect’s home in Tel Aviv was made the target of several grenades tossed by his rival in mid-March – allegedly around the time when the man is said to have entered Malaysia.
Scoop is withholding the name of the suspect and his alleged target, pending confirmation by authorities on the matter.
Yesterday, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said that the Israeli man had entered Malaysia via Kuala Lumpur International Airport with a French passport on March 12.
Razarudin said that during questioning, the suspect produced an Israeli passport and claimed to have come to Malaysia to kill another Israeli citizen due to a family issue.
He added that the suspect did not want to reveal his true job and did not rule out if the man was linked to Israeli intelligence agency Mossad.
“We don’t fully believe what this suspect is telling us, maybe he has another agenda because he has been here since March 12. We found that the weapons were bought using cryptocurrency,” Razarudin said.
Earlier today, Razarudin confirmed with Scoop that two locals aged 42 and 40 were arrested by officers and members of the Bukit Aman criminal investigation department, as well as the Selangor police force on suspicion of supplying firearms to the Israeli man.
The duo were arrested at about 7.30pm last night in Kuala Selangor before being taken to their residence, where a gun was found in a backpack in their car.
The couple also admitted to purchasing the firearm from Thailand, Razarudin said.
He also told Scoop that police are investigating whether the man had entered Malaysia by himself or with other individuals. – March 30, 2024