Singapore on alert after 6 terror suspects arrested in Batam over rockets plot

SINGAPORE  — The police and other agencies have stepped up inland and border security measures, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Friday (Aug 5) after six terror suspects were arrested for allegedly trying to hit Marina Bay with rockets fired from Batam.

"In response to this threat and the prevailing security situation Police and other agencies have been stepping up inland and border security measures," a ministry spokesperson said.

The MHA added that it was "aware that plans were being made by the six terror suspects", but gave no indication as to when it first discovered the plot. According to the Jakarta Post, the Indonesian police received a letter from Singapore on July 1 informing them that a terror group on the Batam and Bintan islands was plotting an attack.  

The Home Affairs Ministry statement said Singapore's security agencies had been "coordinating closely with the Indonesian authorities since the discovery of this attack plot, to monitor the activities of the group and to apprehend those involved", adding: "We are grateful for the good co-operation by the Indonesian authorities and their actions to apprehend the group."

The suspects, aged 19 to 46, were arrested on Friday morning by Special Detachment 88, Indonesia's elite counter-terrorism squad. They were part of a terror cell called KGR@Katibah, according to a statement from Indonesia's national police.

The statement identified the six suspects as Gigih Rahmat Dewa, 31, Trio Syafrido, 46, Eka Saputra, 35, Tarmidzi, Hadi Gusti Yanda, 20, and M Tegar Sucianto, 19. All of them worked at a factory except Trio, who is reportedly a bank executive. 

Gigih, the group's ring leader, is said to have aided militants travelling from Indonesia to Syria, via Turkey. Indonesian police have also linked him to Bahrun Naim, the alleged mastermind behind the attacks in central Jakarta earlier this year, saying: "(Gigih) is suspected of receiving and channeling funds for radical activities sourced from Bahrun Naim."

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Naim, an Indonesian militant who is on the radar of the security agencies, is said to have encouraged attacks in Singapore, Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said in March. Mr Shanmugam has also warned on several occasions that the threat of a terror attack in Singapore is at its highest level in recent times.

Commenting on the arrest of the six, Mr Shanmugam said on Friday: "This does not come as a surprise. The attacks can come from terrorists who seek to come into Singapore; and they can come from terrorists who locate themselves just outside Singapore. Our small size increases these risks."

He thanked the Indonesian authorities for taking action, and said the arrests highlighted the importance of cooperation between countries.

"Next week, during National Day, I will be in Indonesia, for a security conference, chaired by Indonesia and attended by Ministers from this region," added Mr Shanmugam. "Our people have to be extra alert. We have to emphasise the importance of SGSecure, and the role that everyone has to play."

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen wrote on Facebook that this recent plot "shows how important our efforts are and why we must continue to protect our island".

"We should assume that there may be more plots, other terror cells on the lookout for ways, and new munitions to penetrate our defences. Terrorism is a global problem and no country is immune," he said. "We have to stay vigilant and keep improving our defence systems. Most importantly, we must remain united to protect what we treasure on this island home."

Neither the Singapore nor the Indonesian authorities have given clues as to what type of rocket the suspects had tried to use, or if the Indonesian police managed to recover the weapon. Singapore and Batam are less than 30km apart at the nearest point.

According to an online report by Batam Pos, the suspects were arrested at various locations across Batam, including the Mediterranean Housing Block FF1 Batam Centre, Complex Masyeba, Cluster Sakura Botania, Carina Park Complex, and the Komplek Taman Indah Batuaji.

Indonesian police said the six have been trying to harbour two Uyghurs, one of whom has been deported. The other Uyghur, identified merely as Ali, is allegedly linked to Nur Rohman, a militant who carried out a suicide attack in Solo, Indonesia, in July. Ali has been detained alongside another militant Abu Mus'ab, who had allegedly sheltered Nur Rohman.

One of Gigih's neighbours said he got married four years ago and did not show signs of suspicious behaviour. “He rarely goes out, in fact, we don’t know anything about them. So far the couple has been good,” the neighbor was quoted saying by Batam Pos.