Saturday, November 21, 2009

November 03, 2009 21:16 PM

Immigration: No Arrest On Al-Qaeda Suspects

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- The Immigration Department has denied that six people, said to be linked to the Al-Qaeda movement, had been arrested in a raid at a five-star hotel in the capital last Friday.

Its director-general, Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman said the report, which stated that the Immigration Department took part in the raid jointly with the police and the Islamic Development Department (Jakim), was baseless.

"I was shocked when I read the newspaper report today as I was in the dark about the raid. I checked with my officers and they told me that they had not conducted such raid," he said when contacted Tuesday.

An English daily today reported that the six, who were meeting at the hotel, were from several East Asian countries, and they were deported 24 hours later after they were questioned.

Abdul Rahman said he had also checked with the police and Jakim and they also had no knowledge of the raid.

"The report is ridiculous. If it was true that al-Qaeda suspects had been detained, why were they deported within 24 hours," he said.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar, when contacted, said, "I can't confirm or deny.... but I have to see the report first."

-- BERNAMA

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