KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 — The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) have yet to confirm the involvement of a foreign intelligence agency in the abduction of Palestinians in the country.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Azmi Abu Kassim said the police were still investigating a claim as reported by a newspaper yesterday that a foreign intelligence agency, Mossad, was involved in the kidnapping of Palestinians in Malaysia.

"I can’t say whether the Mossad is involved or not because the investigation is still ongoing and the police are also not sure where the newspaper got such information.

"The newspaper report has created speculations and interfered with the police investigation,” he told a press conference after opening the Rapid KL Safety Point at the Kampung Batu MRT Station, here, today.

He said this when asked to comment on a report by a local English-language newspaper today which stated that the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, was the mastermind who hired local citizens to kidnap a Palestinian by the name of Omar ZM Albelbaisy Raeda.

Azmi said the police would summon a representative from the newspaper to record a statement on the matter.

Omar, who arrived in the country last Sept 21 was rescued by the police on Sept 29, a day after he was alleged to have been kidnapped by a group of men in a Toyota Vellfire multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) at Jalan Yap Kwan Seng here.

His kidnap led to the arrest of 18 suspects in separate operations in Kuala Langat, Ampang and Beranang in Selangor and in Melaka from Sept 29 to Oct 4.

Last Friday, 11 individuals, including a woman, were charged in the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate’s Court on a charge of kidnapping Omar to obtain information on software used to hack mobile phones. — Bernama