A recently arrested Bangladeshi militant group in Malaysia was raising funds to support Islamic State (ISIS) cells in Syria and Bangladesh. This information was revealed today, Friday, at a press conference by Malaysia’s Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Datuk Seri Mohamad Khalid Ismail.He stated that the Special Branch’s Counter Terrorism Division discovered through intelligence surveillance and investigations that the group was collecting money to finance ISIS activities.The Malaysian IGP said, “We are still investigating how much money this group managed to collect. It is believed they raised funds through membership fees and charitable donations.”According to a report by local newspaper The Star, the arrested Bangladeshi militant group is called Gerakan Militan Radikal Bangladesh (GMRB). They used messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram, as well as social media, to recruit members and spread their ideology.The IGP said, “We believe their WhatsApp group had about 100 to 150 members. Initial investigations revealed that each member was required to pay an annual membership fee of 500 Malaysian Ringgit.”When asked whether the arrested militants had connections with ISIS cells in neighboring countries, Mohamad Khalid said the matter was still under investigation.He added, “We are working with intelligence agencies of other countries and with Interpol to uncover their terrorist network.”Malaysian police reported that this militant cell primarily recruited members from among Bangladeshi migrants living in Malaysia.Mohamad Khalid explained that the group recruited members from Bangladeshi workers, factory employees, and other laborers. To become a member, one first had to pledge allegiance, but before granting membership, thorough vetting was conducted.Malaysian police said a large-scale three-phase operation was carried out to dismantle this militant group, which took place from 28 April to 21 June. In this operation, 36 Bangladeshi men aged between 25 and 35 were arrested in the states of Johor and Selangor, including the group’s top leader. They had no plans to carry out terrorist attacks in Malaysia but were focused on recruitment and spreading ISIS ideology.IGP Mohamad Khalid warned that charges have been filed against five of those arrested, 15 have been handed over to the Immigration Department, and the remaining 16 are still under investigation under anti-terrorism laws.
