Man dressed as suicide bomber for Halloween party arrested

Following a manhunt which lasted for several days, Malaysian police arrested a man on Tuesday (7 November) who was dressed as a suicide bomber for a Halloween party in the Damansara Perdana township near the country's capital Kuala Lumpur.

Police said they were alerted about the man, believed to be in his 30s, by a person who spotted him in the lift of the party venue — a condominium in Damansara Perdana — on 28 October.

Police officials had released the suspect's images and had launched a search following the complaint. The police handout of the arrested man showed him wearing a white robe with a fake suicide belt around his waist. He also had a fake beard and a chequered scarf covering his head.

The fake "circuit bomb" was made out of cardboard, an "antenna" and plastic bottles, according to Channel News Asia.

"At about 7.40pm [local time (11.40am UK time)], residents at an apartment in Damansara Perdana came across the man who was dressed as a suicide bomber," Petaling Jaya police chief ACP Mohd Zani Che Din reportedly told local media. "It was for a Halloween party and he was spotted riding the lift."

The officer added that wearing such attire is a sensitive issue for the general public, following recent terror incidents linked to the Isis militant group and, hence, the police action.

The identity of the arrested man is still unknown. Meanwhile, he is being investigated under section 506 of the Malaysian penal code for criminal intimidation.

Malaysia has intensified security and scrutiny over the past one year following frequent threats of Isis attacks in the country. Malaysian security forces have foiled several terror plots and arrested local militants affiliated or inspired by the global jihadist group.