Malaysia dismantles Islamic State network involving workers from Bangladesh

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -Malaysian authorities have dismantled a network that used social media to spread ideology and raise funds for the Islamic State militant group among Bangladeshi nationals working in the country, its top police official said on Friday.

Muslim-majority Malaysia has detained hundreds of people for suspected militant activities after a 2016 attack in the capital Kuala Lumpur that was linked to Islamic State, though arrests have largely abated in recent years following a regional crackdown.

Malaysia relies heavily on foreign labour to fill factory, plantation and construction jobs, with thousands of Bangladeshi nationals moving to the country for work each year.

In a televised press conference, Inspector-General of Police Mohd Khalid Ismail said authorities had detained 36 Bangladesh nationals in several operations since April, all of whom had come to Malaysia to work in factories or in sectors like construction and services.

The network recruited members by targeting other Bangladeshi workers, and used social media and online messaging platforms to spread radical and extremist ideologies, Mohd Khalid said, citing police intelligence.

It also raised funds using international fund transfer services and e-wallets to send to the Islamic State group in Syria and Bangladesh, he added, declining to provide further details on the amount raised.

Among those detained, five have been charged with being part of a terrorist organisation, while 15 will be deported. Another 16 remain in police custody pending further investigation, with further arrests expected, Mohd Khalid said.

A total of between 100 and 150 people are suspected to be involved in the network, he said.

"We will deport those with minimal involvement back to their home country, while those with greater involvement wil be charged under Malaysian laws," he said.

(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff and Danial Azhar; Editing by David Stanway)

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