Seven cleared of terror links

Source: Filipinos bound for KL are distant relatives of Maute group

KUALA LUMPUR: Seven Malaysiabound Filipinos who were briefly detained at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport on suspicion of having links to terror have been cleared by the authorities.

The initial red flag was raised after five members of the group had the surname Maute, a name associated with the Islamic State-inspired terrorist group.

The Maute group is a radical group composed of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front guerrillas and some foreigners led by Abdullah Maute.

Intelligence sources said the passengers, identified as Ashary

Investigations have not uncovered any wrongdoing on the part of the school. Source

Maute, Yasser Maute, Abdulrahman Maute, Al Nizar Maute, Abdulcahar Maute, Acmali Mawiyag and Mawiyag Cota, were headed back to a madrasah (religious school) in the Klang Valley on Monday after spending Hari Raya back in the Philippines.

“Investigations indicate they have no links to Maute or any other terrorist groups,” the source told The Star yesterday.

It is learnt that Mawiyag, Acmali and Abdulcahar were the first three to be released while Yasser, Ashary and Al Nizar were brought to a detention centre.

“Abdulrahman was handed over to Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation based on an arrest warrant that linked him with the name Abdulrahman Romato Maute, also known as Damam.

“However, after further checks, they discovered that all of those detained were ‘distant relatives’ of the Maute group, and they were not involved with the group or the Marawi incident,” the source said.

It is understood that the madrasah has more than 400 international students, including those from the Philippines.

Further checks into the madrasah revealed that it has been approved by the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department, which had clearly instructed the school to adhere to strict guidelines, including not teaching modules that threaten national security.

“Investigations have not uncovered any wrongdoing on the part of the school,” a source said.

It was reported by a Filipino newspaper that seven passengers were held at the airport as they were about to board Flight 5J 499 operated by Cebu Pacific.