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Tuesday, 8 August, 2000, 09:08 GMT 10:08 UK
Malaysian arms raid cult charged
![]() Thousands of troops surrounded the hideout
Members of a Malaysian Muslim cult, who sparked a major security alert after raiding a military armoury, have been charged with attempting to wage war.
The gang took four hostages, and killed two of them - a policeman and a soldier - before surrendering. The official Bernama news agency said 29 members of the Al-Ma'unah cult appeared at the Session's Court in Taiping town in Perak on Tuesday. Heist
They made off with a haul of weapons which included more than 100 rifles, thousands of bullets, grenade launchers and explosives. They were tracked to a jungle hideout near Sauk, where 27 people eventually surrendered. Thousands of police and troops surrounded the camp during the stand-off. It was not clear when the other two defendants were arrested.
The offence of attempting to wage war is punishable by death or life imprisonment. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said the Al-Ma'unah cult aimed to overthrow his government and set up an Islamic state. He says most of the 1,800 cult members nationwide also belong to the main opposition party, Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).
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