Syrian family held over ‘grenade’ scare

PORT DICKSON: Federal police yesterday detained five members of a Syrian family on suspicion of being in possession of a hand grenade at a four-star hotel here.

However, an earlier scare that prompted a manhunt for a Syrian man which ended with the arrest of the five family members at Cameron Highlands proved unfounded.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said late last night the object turned out to be a hand grenade replica lighter.

“The family had visited a military museum in Port Dickson and bought a hand grenade replica lighter within its premises,” he said in a Twitter message.

Federal police took over investigations from district police yesterday following claims that a Syrian man who was holidaying with his family here was in possession of an object that resembled a hand grenade on Wednesday.

It is learnt federal police had placed a national alert at all exit points in the country and ordered its personnel to be on the lookout for the man, who is in his 30s.

The Syrian had arrived and checked into two rooms at the hotel with six family members, believed to be his wife and children at noon on Monday.

The “hand grenade” was reportedly sighted when the housekeeping staff was cleaning the rooms as the foreigners were checking out at noon on Wednesday.