An armed auxiliary police officer who handled the screening of explosives and dangerous goods at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) was among a group of 10 arrested last month for suspected links to Islamic militants, said a senior counter-terrorism source, raising concerns over aviation security in the country.

The suspect is the first auxiliary policeman to be arrested for alleged ties to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant group.

“The auxiliary police officer had been working at KLIA Terminal 1 since 2013. He worked at the scanning machine division,” the source told The Straits Times.

… “Airport auxiliary police screeners need to ensure that no explosive or other hazardous materials can find their way onto commercial aircraft. Hence, they need to be thoroughly security-cleared. That this could happen is certainly cause for serious concern,” said Associate Professor Kumar Ramakrishna, head of Policy Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

“We should bear in mind that since September 2014, ISIS has, through its online forums, called on its sympathisers to strike at unbelievers anywhere in the world through any means,” he said.