SINGAPORE –
The Internal Security Act (ISA) arrested twenty seven (27) male Bangladeshis
worker in Singapore. It was the first uncovered jihadist terror cell that
comprises foreigners.
The
investigations showed that the group arrested has been meeting subsequent to
2013, the group supported the armed terrorist groups such as Islamic State in
Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the Al – Qaeda.
“Few of them were deliberated as the waging armed jihad workers, but they are not planning for any terrorist attacks in Singapore” – Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The
Bangladeshis works as construction worker, were arrested last year between
November 16 and December 1. Most of them had stayed and worked in Singapore for
seven years.
“They were a serious threat to Singapore, even though they were plotting "nefarious activities" in their home country.” – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
He added
that Singapore is tightening its security and acting to protect its racial and
religious harmony.
"Radicalization and terrorism must never take root in
Singapore," said PM Lee.
Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam warned that the men could have
easily changed their minds and attacked Singapore.
"Our security agencies have done well in picking them up
early. I had said yesterday ( that the threat of terrorism is real. We are
getting daily reminders of that," Mr Shanmugan wrote in his Facebook
post.
Of the 27, 26 were members of a closed religious study group that subscribed to
extremist beliefs and teachings of radical figures like Anwar al-Awlaki, an
American and Yemeni Islamic lecturer alleged to have ties with militant group
Al-Qaeda. Awlaki was killed in a drone strike in Yemen in September 2011.
The remaining man was not a member of the study group, but was
discovered to have been undergoing radicalisation. He supported extremist
preachers and possessed jihadi-related material.
All 27
have had their work passes cancelled, and 26 of them have since been
repatriated to Bangladesh, where the authorities were informed of the
circumstances of their repatriation.
The
last person is now in prison for attempting to leave Singapore illegally after
learning of his fellow members' arrests. He will also be repatriated once he
completes his sentence.
This is
the first time Singapore has uncovered a jihadist terror cell comprising
foreigners. Previously, a few Singapore Jemaah Islamiyah members had been
involved in terrorist incidents overseas, said MHA in response to media
queries.
The
group held weekly meetings and gatherings at a few mosques that were located
near where some of them were staying. At these meetings, they discussed armed
jihad and conflicts that involved Muslims, said MHA in response to media
queries.
They
were not employed by any particular company.
"There was also no concentration of the group members in any
particular place of abode," MHA added.
Source(s): Link
