KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Police said Thursday (May 8th) they detained a 34-year-old Somali man wanted by Interpol for alleged links to al-Shabaab rebels blamed for a string of violent attacks in East Africa, media reported.

Police are tracking five others, most of whom entered Malaysia on student visas, AFP reported. Some have since left the country.

"The police are investigating the detainee's activity in Malaysia to find out if there are other al-Shabaab-linked terrorists who may be hiding or carrying out activities that can be detrimental to Malaysia's security," said Bakri Zinin, police deputy inspector general.

Police believe the group wants to set up a Malaysian base to hide members from authorities, according to The Star.

Though Malaysia arrested 11 people last week suspected to be involved in Islamic militant activities, officials say the two cases are unrelated.