‘ABDUCTED’ TURKS ARRESTED OVER I.S. CONNECTION
DPM says police will release them if they are cleared
FAIRUZ MOHD SHAHAR
AND FAREZZA HANUM RASHID PUTRAJAYA news@nst.com.my
THE two Turks who were initially believed to have been abducted, were arrested by police for having alleged links to the Islamic State (IS) terror group.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said their arrests followed information obtained by the police from the Regional Digital CounterMessaging Centre.
“The police’s anti-terrorism unit has been following the movements of several individuals involved in spreading, influencing and funding activities related to IS.
“These include the two Turks. We understand the concerns of their family members.
“We have reasons to arrest them under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) and will bring this case to court,” he said after closing the International Wasatiyyah Seminar here yesterday.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar had said Turgay Karaman and Ihsan Aslan were arrested as they threatened the security of Malaysia.
Khalid confirmed in a tweet that the two were caught for “activities that threaten the safety of Malaysia under Section 130 of the Penal Code”.
Meanwhile, Zahid who is also home minister, said: “If, as claimed by their wives that the men are not involved, the police will release them.
“However, we have to respect the information gathered by the police. They made the findings based on communications made by these individuals.”
He said Malaysia would collaborate with the Turkish authorities to investigate the case.
In Kuala Lumpur, Aslan’s wife Ainnurul Aisyah Yunos Ali Maricar yesterday asked the public not to speculate on her husband’s alleged links with IS.
“It is painful to read in the media about my husband’s links with IS.
“The pain is difficult to describe.
“I hope that people will stop speculating and let the police investigate.
“I believe that my husband is not guilty,” she told the New Straits Times yesterday.
Police had not notified Aslan’s family of his arrest and that she found out about it through Khalid’s tweet on Wednesday.
However, Ainnurul said her communication with police had since improved.
“The police’s Special Branch informed me that Aslan is in good hands, but currently he is not allowed to communicate with anyone, including his family members.
“Police were helpful when I was called to the Dang Wangi police station to give a statement,” she said.
Ainnurul said she would be able to see Aslan after 48 hours, which was 9pm yesterday, but was later told by an officer that Monday morning would be better.
She said she had no details of why her husband was arrested.
She added that all he did daily was go to work in the morning and came home by 9pm.
“If they put a GPS (global-positioning system) device on him to track his movements, they can see that is all he does.
“I believe that he is not guilty of anything,” she said, adding that before his arrest, there was nothing out of the ordinary in Aslan’s movements or behaviour.
“If he was not at the shop, he was with us (the family) all the time,” she said.
Aslan runs a wholesale business selling scarves.
He came to Malaysia in 2001 and married Ainnurul in 2003.
They have three children, aged between 2 and 10, including a disabled child.
“The children don’t know what is going on. When they ask about their father, I tell them that he is away for work,” she said.