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S’porean, 51, detained for trying to join ISIS in Syria

SINGAPORE — A 51-year-old Singaporean has been placed under detention for two years after he tried to travel to Syria to fight alongside the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Reuters file photo

Reuters file photo

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SINGAPORE — A 51-year-old Singaporean has been placed under detention for two years after he tried to travel to Syria to fight alongside the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Mustafa Sultan Ali was arrested last month under the Internal Security Act after he was deported back to Singapore from Turkey, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a press release yesterday (July 27). He was issued a detention order this month.

Mustafa had flown from Singapore to Turkey via a regional country in late May, hoping to hide his tracks, said the MHA, which did not name the country Mustafa transited through.

Mustafa planned to cross into Syria from the Turkish border, but was detained by Turkish authorities and deported.

Investigations showed he had been “deeply radicalised by the terrorist ideology of the ISIS and other radical ideologues he had come across online”. He had wanted to take part in armed violence alongside ISIS, and was prepared to carry out ISIS-directed terrorist attacks against Western establishments in Singapore, said the MHA.

Mustafa’s background is not known.

The MHA said the Government takes a very serious view of any form of support for terrorism and will take decisive action against anyone who engages in such activities. Anyone aware of someone involved in terrorism-related activities, or sees suspicious activities, should inform the Internal Security Department (1800 2626 473) or the Police (999), the MHA added.

Mustafa’s detention comes after one youth was arrested and another detained in recent months under the Internal Security Act.

The arrested 17-year-old, who was not named, was released from custody and placed under a two-year Restriction Order last month. The detained youth, 19-year-old M Arifil Azim Putra Norja’i, is the first known self-radicalised Singaporean to harbour the intention to carry out violent attacks here, according to the MHA.

A new helpline manned by the Religious Rehabilitation Group began operating this month to counter the threat of self-radicalisation here.

Manned by the group’s counsellors from 9am to 5pm from Mondays to Fridays, the helpline (1800 774 7747) serves members of the public who may know someone in danger of being self-radicalised, or who want clarity on extremist ideology and advice on aspects of Islam.

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