Hundreds arrested in crackdown on terrorist routes in Southeast Asia - More than 130 human trafficking victims rescued in Operation Maharlika III
SINGAPORE: An INTERPOL-led operation codenamed ‘Maharlika III’ saw law enforcement from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines (BIMP) deploy to strategic points along known terrorist transit routes in Southeast Asia in a series of simultaneous law enforcement and border control actions.
The coordinated move – from 24 February to 20 March in the midst of the global COVID-19 outbreak – resulted in the arrest of more than 180 individuals for various offences, including one suspected member of the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).
