Israeli national pleads not guilty to gun trafficking and bullet possession in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: An Israeli national, Shalom Avitan, pleaded not guilty to charges of trafficking firearms and possessing ammunition in a Malaysian court on Friday (12 April).

The 38-year-old faced the charges before Sessions Court Judge Tasnim Abu Bakar.

Avitan was accused of trafficking six guns and possessing 158 bullets.

The alleged offences took place at a hotel on Jalan Ampang between 26 March and 28 March.

The specific firearms listed in the charges against Avitan include a Glock 19 USA, Sig Sauer P320SP, two Stoeger Cougars, a Glock 17 Gen4 Austria, and an N&P 9C Smith & Wesson from Springfield, MA, USA. The ammunition included one box of Shell Shock NAS3 9mm bullets and three boxes from Bullet Master Co Ltd.

If convicted of the gun trafficking charge, Avitan could face a jail term of 30 years to a maximum of 40 years, along with a mandatory minimum of six strokes of the rotan, a type of corporal punishment.

The penalty for trafficking firearms can include the death sentence; however, since 2018, Malaysia has effectively halted executions, with the last death sentence carried out by hanging occurring in 2017.

The possession of bullets could lead to an additional seven years in jail, a fine up to RM10,000, or both.

Judge Tasnim Abu Bakar denied bail for Avitan and scheduled the next court session for 21 May.

Avitan was arrested on 27 March at the same hotel where the weapons were found. Investigations revealed he entered Malaysia on 12 March using a French passport, flying in from the United Arab Emirates.

Reports indicate that Avitan has links to the Musli brothers crime family and is suspected of entering Malaysia with the intention of assassinating the head of a rival gang.

However, Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain has mentioned that Avitan’s motives might have extended beyond this initial suspicion.

“As I have pointed out, the suspect could be a threat to our leaders, foreign diplomats and even leaders from Hamas,” Razarudin stated during a press briefing earlier this month.

Following Avitan’s arrest, police detained a married couple at a Ramadan bazaar in Kuala Selangor on 29 March, suspected of selling him the firearms.

The couple, Sharifah Faraha Syed Husin and Abdul Azim Mohd Yasin, was later charged in the Klang Sessions Court last Friday.

Additional arrests related to this case include eight individuals, among them three foreigners, during operations conducted in Kuala Lumpur and Johor on 4 and 5 April.

These operations involved local authorities and various divisions of the police, leading to a total of 16 individuals detained in relation to Avitan’s case.