The hunt for elusive "Tuhan Harun" sect leader Harun Mat Saat came to an end when the 47-year-old was arrested with two followers in Tangkak, Johor, yesterday.
A team from the Muar and Ledang Criminal Investigation Department arrested Harun and his third wife, Azida Mohd Zol, 30, from a house in Taman Bandar Baru, Tangkak, about 3.30pm after earlier detaining a follower at a house in Jalan Hospital Tangkak.
It was learnt that the follower had led police to Harun's hideout.
Pahang police chief Datuk Sharifuddin Ab Ghani said the trio were taken to the Ledang police station for questioning and were expected to be brought to Kuantan later.
Warrants of arrest had been issued for Harun and Azida after failing to turn up for the mention of their case at the Syariah court here last week.
The duo, along with the follower arrested yesterday, will be questioned with regard to investigations into the assassination of Pahang Islamic Religious Department (Jaip) enforcement head Ahmad Rafli Abdul Malek, who was shot in front of his house on Nov 10.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar subsequently urged 31 members of the "Tuhan Harun" deviationist sect in Pahang to surrender at the state religious office.
However, Harun, who is facing 10 charges at the lower Syariah court for various offences, including distributing pamphlets and books on deviationist teachings, failed to show up in court for the re-mention of his case on Nov 12, prompting the court to issue a warrant of arrest against him.
He had also failed to turn up for the case management on Aug 20.
Last Friday, police released the images of 27 followers, including Harun and his 12-year-old daughter Mahni, and asked them to surrender at any police station to help in Rafli's murder.
On the same day, police had obtained arrest warrants for seven individuals, including Azida, from the Syariah court here. Harun, Azida and Nor Hairi were among 31 individuals picked by Jaip during a raid at a shop lot in Lorong Pandan Damai near Taman Tas here on April 4.
Harun, who claimed that he was "Tuhan 2013" (God of 2013), is also wanted by Bank Negara for involvement in quick-rich schemes and money laundering.
On April 9, Harun claimed trial in the Kuantan magistrate's court to a charge of cheating a contractor of RM200,000 five years ago.
He had also claimed trial at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on April 17 to five counts of assisting three companies to accept deposits without valid licence between 2006 and 2008.
Harun, from Ketereh, Kelantan, who is a music composer and an adviser to several investment companies, had pleaded not guilty at the Kuantan Syariah High Court to practising deviationist teachings and was released on a bail of RM15,000 in two sureties.
It was earlier reported that, Harun, who had been on the wanted list since 2009, had been granted bail by the Syariah court due to the lack of communication and the separation of legal jurisdiction between the Syariah and civil law.
He and his followers were believed to have gone into hiding when they failed to attend court and surrender to police last week. So far, only 10 followers of the sect had come forward to assist police investigations into Rafli's murder.
In Johor Baru, investigators said Harun had fled to Johor to seek the help of a right-hand man identified only as "Arab" as well as members of his former "get-rich quick" network in Simpang Renggam and Kluang.
The trio were believed to have planned to flee the country via Johor to Indonesia.
Johor police chief Datuk Mokhtar Shariff confirmed the arrests of the three.
Read more: 'Tuhan Harun' leader picked up - General - New Straits
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