A Kuala Lumpur court has charged an Israeli man with firearms offences, Al Jazeera reports.

Shalom Avitan, who is accused of trafficking six handguns and possessing four boxes of ammunition without a licence, pleaded not guilty.

Avitan was arrested at a hotel on March 27, two weeks after entering Malaysia on a French passport.

Police said they suspected he might have links to Mossad and tightened security around Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the king.

Israeli media have reported that Avitan is a member of an organised crime group and was planning a hit on a rival gang leader. He was escorted into court surrounded by armed balaclava-clad police in body armour.