Malaysian media outlets published today (Tuesday) the first photos of the people believed to be Mossad agents who tried to kidnap a Palestinian Arab who was acting on behalf of Hamas in Kuala Lumpur.
The names of the detainees were not published, nor was there any proof that they had any connection to the Mossad.
In the published documentation, detainees are seen being taken into custody with their faces covered. According to the reports, these are 18 detainees who are accused of acting on behalf of the Mossad, all citizens of Malaysia.
Earlier, the New Straits Times reported that Palestinian Arab computer programmer from Gaza who has been residing in Kuala Lumpur was abducted by agents working on behalf of Israel’s Mossad.
The programmer, who reportedly had been in contact with the military wing of the Hamas terror organization, was interrogated by the Mossad remotely, before being freed by local authorities. Two suspected kidnappers were taken into custody.
According to subsequent reporting by the New Straits Times, four Malaysian men were involved in the kidnapping, abducting the programmer and throwing him into one of two waiting cars in a “snatch-and-grab” operation.
The incident reportedly occurred on the night of September 28th.
The operation was orchestrated, the Times claimed, by a Malaysian woman in her thirties who was recruited by the Mossad.
A former private investigator, the woman was recruited as a Mossad agent in 2018, and was later sent abroad, including to Europe, for training.
After being transported to a house on the outskirts of the Malaysian capital city, the programmer was interrogated in a video call regarding his ties to the Hamas terror organization’s Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
Two Israeli men were reportedly involved in the remote interrogation.
A source with knowledge of the case cited by the New Straits Times report claimed the interrogators “wanted to know about his experience in computer application development, Hamas’ strength in developing software, members of the Al-Qassam Brigade that he knew and their strengths.”
The local agents employed by the Mossad operative reportedly also nabbed a second Palestinian Arab man, who was described as a “more prized capture.” The second man managed to escape, however.
The report said the local agents “bungled” the operation, failing to cover their faces or to place fake license plates on their vehicles.
The two men targeted have since left the country.
Authorities in Malaysia have identified at least 11 locals linked to the Mossad cell, local media outlets claimed.