Malaysia says Thai blast suspect fleeing to Iran

17.02.2012

Putrajaya

An Iranian national who was arrested in Malaysia for suspected involvement in a botched bomb plot in Thailand had been attempting to fly to Iran when he was detained, the government said Thursday.
The arrest Wednesday of Masoud Sedaghat Zadeh at Kuala Lumpur's international airport showed Malaysia was "very serious and committed" to addressing the threat of terrorism, said Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.
"The authorities of this country will never allow Malaysia to become a location, base, or transit point for terrorists or individuals who are wanted by any other country," he said in a statement.
It gave no further details other than to confirm the 31-year-old suspect had fled to Malaysia on Tuesday and was suspected in the Thai incident.
Malaysia's government and police have been tight-lipped about the case so far, citing an ongoing investigation, and have declined detailed comment on whether the Iranian suspect would be deported or charged in Malaysia.
He was arrested over unspecified violations of Malaysian immigration rules, the government has said.