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PETALING JAYA: Brazil deported a Palestinian man and his Malaysian family after federal police were tipped off by the US that a “Hamas operative” was en route to Sao Paulo, Brazilian authorities said yesterday.

Muslim Abuumar and his family were detained on Friday at the Guarulhos International Airport after arriving from Kuala Lumpur, then held for two days before being put on a Qatar Airways flight to Doha, Reuters reported, quoting sources.

“The request came from the US department of state,” a senior federal police officer said.

“It was proven before a judge that (Abuumar) was deeply involved with Hamas.”

Bruno Henrique de Moura, the lawyer representing Abuumar, executive director of the Asia Middle East Center, said Abuumar and his family were visiting his brother in Brazil.

However, police said Abuumar intended to remain in Brazil as a spokesman for Hamas, adding that this was evident by the volume of luggage the family had brought with them.

Brazilian judge Milenna da Cunha agreed with the police and gave the order for their deportation, citing Abuumar’s social media postings of a meeting in Doha with Ismail Haniyeh, a senior Hamas figure.

Brazil has recognised the state of Palestine since 1975, and president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva allowed the construction of an embassy in Brasilia during his previous term in office in 2010.

Palestinian ambassador Ibrahim Al Zeben said the embassy had not been officially contacted about Abuumar’s arrival, and that he trusted Brazilian policy.