Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain said at a press conference late on Friday that the man was detained with a bag that contained six handguns and 200 bullets. Inspector-General Husain said the man had arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport from the United Arab Emirates on March 12 using what they thought to be a forged French passport.
Razarudin stated that the individual, who has not been officially identified, had ordered the weapons after arriving in Malaysia and paid for them using cryptocurrencies. The suspect also produced an Israeli passport when questioned by police, Razarudin claimed.
An email request for comment was not immediately answered by the Israeli embassy in Singapore. Israel and Malaysia do not maintain diplomatic ties.
Police would not completely rule out the idea that the man was an Israeli intelligence agent, even though the suspect said he had come to Malaysia to look for another Israeli citizen because of a family conflict.
Razarudin added that the individual had stayed at other hotels during his visit to Malaysia, saying, "We do not fully trust this narrative as we suspect there may be another agenda."
Razarudin told Reuters on Saturday that three Malaysians, including a married couple, were detained on Friday and placed under seven days of confinement on charges of providing firearms and serving as the Israeli suspect's drivers.
He also said that a pistol had been found in the couple's automobile.
Following the man's arrest, authorities have increased security for Malaysia's king, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and other prominent persons, and have placed them on high alert.
Malaysia, a nation with a large Muslim population, has denounced Israel's Gaza assault and is a fervent backer of the Palestinians. The UN refugee agency estimates that there are about 600 Palestinian refugees living in Malaysia.
In 2018, two unidentified men shot and killed a Palestinian scientist in the capital of Malaysia. Hamas claimed that Israel's Mossad intelligence agency was responsible for the death. Israel refuted the accusations.
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