A MALAYSIAN man suspected to be part of the Islamic State was arrested today at Karachi’s international airport after weapons and ammunition were discovered in a hidden compartment in his luggage, reported Pakistani media.

The Express Tribune said authorities discovered four pistols, eight magazines and 70 bullets hidden in the man’s baggage, as well as shoes.

The man, which the report identified as Al Muhd Alfie Kqhyriel, was about to board a flight to Bangkok, Thailand, and is currently being interrogated by intelligence agencies in Karachi.

Last month, Malaysian border police admitted to Singapore’s Straits Times that the flow of arms meant for militants across the Malaysian-Thai border was a growing problem.

While police had stepped up raids against local terror cells in recent years, the many routes across the border made it challenging to detect smuggling activities, said the director-general of the Border Security Agency, Mohamad Ismail.

Despite robust anti-terror efforts, Malaysia remains vulnerable to militant activities, with an increasing number of Malaysians involved in terrorism abroad expected to return home following the five-month siege of Marawi in the Philippines, as well as from the Syrian city of Raqqa, formerly held by IS.

The Home Ministry revealed that 53 Malaysians were found to be involved in terrorism in Iraq and Syria, with 34 of them killed this year.

According to police statements, more than 100 Malaysians have been detained for suspected involvement in terror activities linked to IS in this year alone.

In February, authorities revealed that a total of 234 Malaysians suspected to be involved in IS had been detained by police. – December 23, 2017.