KUALA LUMPUR: A local married couple believed to have supplied firearms to an Israeli man will be charged at the Klang Court, today.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said the Israeli man who was recently nabbed in Malaysia with six guns and 200 rounds of ammunition is also expected to be charged in court this week.
He added that police are currently investigating the man to obtain further information.
"The husband and wife who possess weapons will be charged at the Klang Court, today.
"Meanwhile, police are still investigating to obtain more information and to find the actual motives of the Israeli man possessing six weapons smuggled from a neighbouring country.
"The charges against the Israeli man may be filed this week, possibly after the Hari Raya celebrations," he said at a press conference during the transfer of duties ceremony for the Director and Chairman of the Investigation and Traffic Enforcement Department, today.
Yesterday, Razarudin said the police had extended the remand of the Israeli man, Shalom Avitan, for seven days starting yesterday.
He added that the extension was requested to allow the police to complete a detailed investigation of the matter.
On March 27, Avitan, an Israeli national, was detained at a hotel in Jalan Ampang here after being found in possession of six handguns, including a Glock 19 Marine, Glock 17 Gen 4, Smith and Wesson, Sig Sauer and Stoeger, along with 200 rounds of ammunition.
Initial investigations by the team consisting of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Special Branch found that Avitan, who entered the country on March 12 via a flight from the United Arab Emirates using a French passport, planned to kill the head of a rival criminal family.
Following inquiries into Avitan, police then arrested a husband and wife, aged 42 and 40, at a Ramadan bazaar in Kuala Selangor on March 29.
The couple were suspected of selling six firearms to Avitan and their arrest led to the discovery of another pistol in a sling bag in the couple's car.
The special police team handling the case, comprising the Bukit Aman CID and Dang Wangi district police headquarters, then detained 12 more individuals in several raids in Johor, Kelantan and the Klang Valley.
All of them were being investigated for involvement in the distribution of seized firearms, cryptocurrency transactions for weapons purchases and related offences.