KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Tuesday said suspected militants from Yemen arrested late last month ahead of a visit by Saudi King Salman were planning an attack on "Arab royalties".
A senior police source said the four Yemenis who were arrested belonged to Al Houthi militants fighting governments forces in Yemen.
The Saudi king arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 26 with a 600-strong delegation for a four-day visit, at the start of a month-long Asia tour. He is currently in Indonesia.
Between Feb. 21 and Feb. 26, Malaysia arrested one Malaysian and six foreigners - one Indonesian, four Yemenis and one East Asian - for suspected links to militant groups including Daesh, police had said in a statement on Sunday.
Speaking on Tuesday, Malaysia's police chief said the four Yemenis were plotting an attack on Arab royalties.
"Four Yemenis, apart from their role involving in producing false travel documents they are also involved in distributing drugs... and they are also planning to attack the Arab royalties during the visit in Kuala Lumpur, so we got them in the nick of time," Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar told reporters.
The Yemenis were arrested in Serdang and Cyberjaya - near the capital Kuala Lumpur - for suspected links to a Yemeni insurgent group, Malaysian police had said on Sunday.
Police seized multiple international passports from the four, along with 270,000 ringgit ($60,742.41) in different currencies which were suspected to be channelled to the insurgent group.
