Malaysia has complained to Turkey for deporting several suspected militants to Kuala Lumpur without warning, a security official said on Tuesday, as police step up checks ahead of the Southeast Asian Games that start in the capital this month, Reuters reported.
The suspects, all foreigners, were deported from Turkey after being caught trying to enter Syria to join up with Islamic State, the security source told Reuters.
"Turkey should have followed international protocol, first by deporting them to their last port of embarkation and secondly by informing the country where deportees are sent to," the source told the news agency.
It was not clear how many suspects were missing and when they entered Malaysia. But Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said last week that they were searching for at least 16 militants deported from Turkey, the report said. According to police, the suspects were given an option by Turkish authorities to be deported to Malaysia rather than their last port of call. Many had chosen Malaysia due to its many visa-free agreements with other countries, it added.
The Turkish embassy in Kuala Lumpur did not respond to an emailed request for comment, Reuters said.
The counter-terrorism police team conducted a six-hour raid around major roads in the Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, arresting more than 400 people, as it stepped up security for the Southeast Asia Games that begin on Aug 19. Those arrested on Sunday were mostly undocumented migrants from various countries including Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Myanmar, the report said.
