Religious authorities have arrested a 21-year-old man for allegedly taking part in non-Islamic rituals, after videos and images circulating online purportedly showed him participating in such rituals, including piercing his face with a trident-shaped object during Thaipusam celebrations at Batu Caves.

The man, identified as Aliff Daniel, was also seen in clips purportedly showing him taking part in a “cleansing” ceremony in Bali, Indonesia, and is said to have positioned himself as a spiritual healer.

In a statement today, Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) director Shahzihan Ahmad said Aliff and his 52-year-old mother were arrested at noon in Kuala Lumpur by personnel from the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) after the Shah Alam Syariah Court issued an arrest warrant.