Mas Selamat Kastari Reportedly Arrested in Malaysia
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SINGAPORE: Mas Selamat Kastari, Singapore's Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader who escaped from Whitley Road Detention Centre on February 27 last year, has been arrested.
The terrorist, who once plotted to hijack a plane and crash it into Changi Airport, was arrested in Malaysia in a joint intelligence operation involving the internal security agencies of the two countries.
It is understood that Mas Selamat was actually arrested over a month ago but had been under interrogation in Malaysia.
It is believed that the fugitive will soon be brought back to Singapore.
Last December, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had said: "He is one up on us, but the game is not over. One day we will catch him."
Most security experts had expected the fugitive to head for Indonesia, where other JI members are believed to be based. So, it came as a surprise to some that he was arrested in Malaysia.
Mas Selamat gave his guards the slip while he was being taken to the toilet at the detention centre.
The escape sparked the largest manhunt in Singapore's history. Thousands of police and military personnel were roped in to comb the island for the fugitive. Checks at the borders were stepped up, road blocks were set up, officers went house to house, and forested areas were swept.
There were also offers of a million dollar reward by two businessmen for his capture.
Mas Selamat, however, remained elusive although dozens of illegal immigrants were flushed out. Posters bearing his face and description were put up everywhere and every mobile phone here was sent either a text description or a picture of him.
Mas Selamat's escape also resulted in the dismissal of the detention centre's superintendent over security lapses. The superintendent's deputy was demoted.
The two were the most senior officers in charge of the ground management of the detention centre, and were among six Internal Security Department (ISD) officers charged over the escape.
Mas Selamat fled Singapore in December 2001 following an Internal Security Department operation against the terrorist organisation.
The militant leader had been on the run after Singapore authorities discovered plans to crash seven trucks filled with bombs at various locations around the island.
Investigations also revealed that he was the mastermind behind a plan to hijack an airplane and crash it into Changi airport.
Mas Selamat was arrested by the Indonesian police on Bintan island in January 2006. He was detained for using a fake identity card.
When he was arrested, officers found literature on bomb-making on him. Based on investigations then, Indonesia's elite anti-terror police then discovered he was the leader of the Singapore Jemaah Islamiyah network.
They then deported him to Singapore, where he was detained at Whitley Road Detention Centre under the Internal Security Act.
The 48-year-old father of four was said to be involved in JI's plans to mount attacks against foreign and local establishments in Singapore.
These included the US Embassy and American Club, the Defence Ministry headquarters at Bukit Gombak and the Education Ministry building at North Buona Vista Drive. - CNA/TODAY/de -
Originally posted by deepak.c:
So Singapore provided the info? Real or not??? -
Originally posted by Nighthawkies:
So Singapore provided the info? Real or not???
Must save WKS' face wat! Other senior staff either got sacked or demoted when Mas Selamat limped his way out of detention but the chief survived to collect $m dollar pay! -
Originally posted by Nighthawkies:
So Singapore provided the info? Real or not???The only way that this can happen is for MSK to make a slip by calling the house phone or mobile phone of any member of his family.
One call, or one call too many - is all it takes for the Singapore ISD to latch on to him.
If he wants to be a terrorist, he should forget his family ties and continue to run with a new life, otherwise it is better for him to come back from the cold.
If the Malaysian confirm that their success is based on Singapore's input then it will be true - otherwise, it can be seen as an attempt to salvage some face.
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Originally posted by adetet:
Must save WKS' face wat! Other senior staff either got sacked or demoted when Mas Selamat limped his way out of detention but the chief survived to collect $m dollar pay!
But if not the truth then Malaysia will sure make noise one leh...no meh? -
Originally posted by Atobe:
The only way that this can happen is for MSK to make a slip by calling the house phone or mobile phone of any member of his family.
One call, or one call too many - is all it takes for the Singapore ISD to latch on to him.
If he wants to be a terrorist, he should forget his family ties and continue to run with a new life, otherwise it is better for him to come back from the cold.
If the Malaysian confirm that their success is based on Singapore's input then it will be true - otherwise, it can be seen as an attempt to salvage some face.
So it is ISD? They wake up from their slumber already? Suddenly so "kee lard". Now the score between MSK and ISD is 1-1? -
The Star Online
Fugitive Mas Selamat nabbed
BY LOURDES CHARLES
KUALA LUMPUR: Fugitive suspected Singaporean terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari has been arrested by Malaysian police.
It is learnt the fugitive, who escaped from a Singapore maximum security detention centre on Feb 27, 2008 was arrested in Johor together with two others by Special Branch officers following intelligence sharing between the police forces of Indonesia and Singapore.
Sources said police here who had been on high alert for the suspected terrorist since his escape had gathered intelligence from their counterparts that Mas Selamat was hiding in Johor and was planning to create unrest in several countries in the region.
A massive operation was launched by the Special Branch with the help of other police departments here.
The month-long operation paid off when Mas Selamat who is said to be the leader for the jemaah Islamiah (JI) in Singapore was arrested.
Police also seized documents and other paraphernalia that allegedly showed of their planned operation.
Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan confirmed the arrest.
"We are in touch with our international counterparts who were informed about the arrest as well as about what we learnt.
"Our officers are still investigating their activities and networking," he added.
Mas Selamat was arrested in February 2006 and was sent to Singapore for investigations before he escaped in February last year.
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Originally posted by Dead_Man_Inc:
i'm curious how he manage to escape singapore, and how the police in malaysia catch him
Ya lor, me too.Since he is captured in JB by the competent Malaysian authorities, I wonder have they asked abang how he did it?
We can then compare with the earlier reports of how he escaped and about the security cameras and how he could limp out. Did the guards noticed him limping? Did he used the toilet window? things like that. Nothing beats hearing from the horse's mouth, so to speak.
Well, what to do? STILL the security Lapse did happened and this could be remembered in history books of news clippings and cyber library for all future people to read and learn from past lessons. Nothing can change this fact.
I thank the Malaysian competent people for capturing an Alleged terrorist who has since not gone for a trial.
Could we hear it from MSK or from the authorities what Really happened?
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I'm sure the process of how he escaped would be made known later as there had been a COI earlier. I hope that Police had already arrested those Singaporean who had assisted him to escape (if any) or the fellow would have been gone after reading today's ST.
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Well, for a start, if there was any doubt, Mas Selamat will confirm that our MP was very smart and absolutely right when he said "He is either in Singapore or out of Singapore".
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why they wan bomb changi airport... go bomb changi village mah
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Oh again, him.
I'm glad if he really had been caught. -
haha do u guys see the difference in style between the msian report and sg's?
Singapore's ST report says that a major reason why mas selamat was captured was because of their tip-off.
The star says the tip off was due to Sg and Indo too.
Oh well, all credit to singapore.....without our tip-off, mas selamat would nv have been captured. now wks can have his promotion. thats great!
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well for a start, we need to see pics of his capture in msia to believe anything at all.
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by all means necessary
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just curious. do we have to pay the malayian police the reward?
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great job to all those involved in e search..
13mths n he's finally caught..
hopefully he does not escape anymore..
made e causeway so jammed
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hope tht it is always jammed...
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malaysia boleh, man!
even with an underpaid police force......
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Originally posted by Rock^Star:
this one is 2003 capture in indo lehanyway i dont think they have new pics as of press time..
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ya the pict found at stomp
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It is funny when Mas was found missing, the head did not come forward to explain the situation to the public until two weeks later.
When Mas is arrested in Malaysia, the head was rushing forward to claim the credit for the arrest.
Time to settle the debt:
- Who to pay the bounty ?
- If no reward, then will he "slip" away again ?
- Why the "good" news was released after 1 month ?
Claim responsibility - No me.
Claim credit - Me, Me and only me.
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Originally posted by Medicated Oil:
It is funny when Mas was found missing, the head did not come forward to explain the situation to the public until two weeks later.
When Mas is arrested in Malaysia, the head was rushing forward to claim the credit for the arrest.
Time to settle the debt:
- Who to pay the bounty ?
- If no reward, then will he "slip" away again ?
- Why the "good" news was released after 1 month ?
Claim responsibility - No me.
Claim credit - Me, Me and only me.
come forward and explain immediately might leak out info mah..
