Malaysia authorities bring Israeli alleged mobster accused of spying to court

An Israeli man arrested by Malaysian police in Kuala Lumpur last month accused of spying has arrived in court to face charges.

Shalom Avitan, 36, was caught using a fake passport and carrying six handguns and 200 bullets at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 12, according to Malaysian police.

He is seen arriving at a Kuala Lumpur court escorted by at least a dozen security officers.

Unsourced reports on social media say Avitan pleaded not guilty, though it is not immediately clear to which charges.

Avitan is an associate of the Musli brothers crime family, and was reportedly en route to assassinate the head of a rival crime family, though Malaysian authorities didn’t buy that story.

“Police are investigating all angles including whether he is a spy. We want to know his motive for coming to Malaysia and having six handguns,” Malaysian police inspector-general Razarudin Husai said earlier this month.

According to reports, Avitan is expected to face 25 years in jail if convicted.

Suspek Israel Shalom Avitan ,38 dibawa ke Mahkamah Kuala Lumpur dengan kawalan penuh ketat pasukan CID barsenjata tepat jam 8.10 pagi ini untuk menghadapi pertuduhan memiliki senjata api dan di bawah Akta Imigresen.#malaysiagazette #shalomavitan pic.twitter.com/g55dzSVaMc

— Malaysia Gazette (@MalaysiaGazette) April 12, 2024

Malaysia, a majority-Muslim country, is a staunch supporter of the Palestinians and has criticized Israel’s actions in the Gaza war. Malaysia, which does not have diplomatic ties with Israel, is home to around 600 Palestinian refugees, according to the United Nations refugee agency.

In 2018, a Palestinian scientist was shot dead in the Malaysian capital by two unidentified men in a killing that the Hamas terror group suggested was carried out by Israel’s Mossad intelligence service. Israel denied the allegations.