Malaysian authorities are on high alert following information from Thailand that two Uighurs of Turkish descent, suspected of plotting terrorist attacks in Thailand, are heading to Malaysia.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said police and other agencies at all entry and exit points to the country have been put on alert.

“We are closely monitoring the situation,” he said yesterday.

Surat Thani Governor Wongsiri Promchana said he was informed of the men’s departure to Malaysia by the Phuket immigration office.

“But this is just initial information from the immigration office which believes the names (of the Uighur men) are the same as in the (intelligence) memo,” he told Bernama.

Wongsiri did not reveal the exact date the two Uighurs left Thailand for Malaysia and whether they used the land or air route.

An intelligence source told Bernama the two could be headed to Malaysia en route to Turkey, Indonesia or Singapore.

On Friday, Thai newspaper Khaosod leaked an intelligence memorandum from Wongsiri which claimed that two Uighurs and two Russians of Chechen descent were plotting terror attacks in Thailand.

The two Uighurs were identified as Ali Yalcin Egin and Hidayet Dorsun who arrived in Phuket from an unidentified location on March 23.

They might stage attacks on Chinese targets and interests in South-East Asia, said the leaked memo, while the two unidentified Chechens planned to attack Russian interests in Thailand.

In an immediate response yesterday, Thailand’s police chief Gen Chakthip Chaijinda acknowledged that the leaked intelligence memo was authentic and the force had been working on this for the past week.

The governor said he received the sensitive intelligence dossier from the National Intelli­gence Coordination Centre Region 4 on the possible threat on April 5.

The intelligence memorandum, according to him, detailed a warning about possible terror attacks in Koh Samui and Phuket. Both places are expected to be crowded in view of the four-day Songkran festival which begins on April 12.

Source:
courtesy of THE STAR

by Austin Camoens

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