Malaysia : The Special Branch of Malaysia police arrested two Bangladeshi young men from Kuala Lampur on Thursday for their alleged connection with Islamic State (IS).

Malaysia police conducted separate drives from January 13 to January 19 in Kuala Lumpur and Sabah and arrested two Bangladeshi youths, a Malaysian woman and a citizen of Philippines, reports New Straight Times of Malaysia.

However police did not disclose their names. Their ages were between 27 and 31.

Announcing this on Monday, Inspector-General of Royal Malaysia Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the arrestees had planned to turn Sabah into a transit station for Southeast Asia and South Asia terrorists to join a Philippines-based IS group led by Dr Mahmud Ahmad and Isnilon Hapilon. Dr Mahmud was a former Universiti Malaya lecturer who had joined IS militants based in the southern Philippines.

He also said that the Filipino man, who worked as a watch seller, had received instructions from Dr Mahmud to recruit and arrange the infiltration of new IS members from Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Rohingya to the southern Philippines.

IGP said that they have planned to fly to Sandakan before entering the southern Philippines.

“The both Bangladeshis aged 27 and 28, worked as salesman, and were arrested last Thursday in Kuala Lumpur. They were suspected of having ties to Bangladesh IS militants and were planning to join Dr Mahmud’s terror cell”, he added.