Singapore embassies attack plot
Encyclopedia
The Singapore embassies attack plot was a plan in 2001 by Jemaah Islamiyah
(JI) to bomb
the diplomatic missions and attack personnel of the United States
, Australia
, the United Kingdom
, and Israel
based in Singapore
. There were also several other targets. The plot was uncovered in December 2001 and as many as 15 people were arrested in Singapore within a month. Further investigation and intelligence prompted the detention of another 26 persons from 2002 to 2005. As of 2006, 37 of them were still being detained without trial, under the Internal Security Act
. Four had been released on restriction orders.
At least eight of the sleeper cell members had received training in Afghanistan
. Riduan Isamuddin
, the leader of JI who is better known as Hambali, had arranged their travels to Pakistan, using false documents and cover stories that they were accepted by a religious school for religious studies. They stayed in an al-Qaeda safe house
in Pakistan before travelling to Afghanistan, where they received training in the use of AK-47
s, mortar
s, and military tactics. Several members also attended a training camp in southern Philippines, known as Camp Hudaybiyya, set up by Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) and run by Indonesian JI members.
The Singapore branch of JI was organised into at least three groups. The first cell, which was called "Fiah Ayub" (first cell) and the second cell was called "Fiah Musa". The Singapore branch was headed by Ibrahim Maidin and Faiz bin Abi Bakar Bafana was the second in command. The Singapore branch was under the command of a Malaysia-based leadership structure called a regional shura (consultative council), within the larger network of JI organisation in Southeast Asia. Members of the cell did not attend local mosque
or made little contact with other mainstream Islam
ic organisations in the country. The group operated in tight secrecy and were using code words in their communication.
, where American troops and their families used to take shuttle rides to a U.S. Navy site at Sembawang
for recreation activities at a sports complex coincidentally known as "Terror Club", named after the last Royal Navy's shore accommodation establishment around the same area, HMS Terror. In 1999, a member of the Singapore cell, Khalim Jaffar travelled to Afghanistan and presented the plan to Al Qaeda's leaders. Mohammed Atef
, a close aide of Osama bin Laden
, gave JI the go-ahead for the attack, but the plan was not pursued for unknown reasons.
In April 2001, a member of the cell, who was working at the Singapore Technologies Aerospace, took digital photographs of American military aircraft and personnel at Paya Lebar Airbase
, and distributed them to other cell members.
The cell had also surveyed other potential targets including water pipelines at the Johor-Singapore Causeway
, Singapore Changi Airport
, the radar station at Biggin Hill
, and the Ministry of Defence
at Bukit Gombak
, also known as Mike, and Mohammed Jabarah, also known as Sammy, flew to Singapore and directed the sleeper cell to conduct "final reconnaissance" and video recordings of potential targets. The two operatives gave instructions to the cell to prepare for attacks in Singapore. Among the targets were U.S. and Israeli Embassies, British and Australian High Commissions, the Singapore American School, and commercial buildings housing US firms. They planned to launch the attacks in December 2001/January 2002 or April/May 2002.
Philippine authorities said that al-Ghozi, a bombmaker, had three Philippine passports and an Indonesian passport. Investigators later revealed al-Ghozi's ties with Abu Bakar Bashir
, the alleged spiritual head of Jemaah Islamiyah
. al-Ghozi had studied in Bashir's religious school in Indonesia for six years. The other man, Sammy, was later identified as Mohd Mansour Jabarah, a Canadian national of Arab descent, who was in US custody (as of 2003) and sentenced to life in prison in 2008.
The cell members then set off to procure 17 tons of explosives, especially that of ammonium nitrate, along with truck
s and chemicals. JI has close ties with Kumpulan Militan Malaysia (KMM), a militant group in Malaysia. Yazid Sufaat
, a KMM member, had purchased 4 tons of ammonium nitrate which were already made available to the Singapore cell for the bombings. In an interview on PBS, Lee Kuan Yew
pointed out that each bomb would be twice the size of the one detonated by Timothy McVeigh
at the Alfred P. Murrah building in Oklahoma City
.
, an informant
told the Internal Security Department
about Muhammad Aslam Yar Ali Khan, who is a Singaporean citizen of Pakistan
i descent and had made claims of having ties with Al-Qaeda. Khan was placed under surveillance, but he abruptly left Singapore for Pakistan
on October 4. He was later captured by United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan
officials. His interrogation led investigators to the Singaporean cell.
Singapore authorities conducted the first raid on 9 December 2001, arresting six people. A total of 15 people were arrested within a month. During the raids, the police seized documents of the attack plots and bomb making information, as well as photographs and surveillance video of the intended targets including the embassies. Fake passports and forged immigration documents were also found.
Soon after, a JI-made surveillance video was recovered among the rubbles of a house that was bombed by US coalition forces in Kabul
, Afghanistan
. It was the home of Mohammed Atef
, a close aide of Osama bin Laden
. The video showed a narrator in Singapore, Hashim bin Abas, describing how bombs could be hidden to attack United States
interests. Besides the embassies, the plotters were also planning to target United States Air Force
warplanes that were stationed at Paya Lebar Air Force Base
, as well as several United States companies and businesses. There were also plans to attack U.S. Navy warship
s along Singapore's coastlines, similar to the USS Cole bombing
in Yemen
in October 2000.
The JI group were also plotting to attack United States Navy
personnel and their families who often traveled between the Yishun MRT Station
and Sembawang
Wharf
via shuttle buses. The video also detailed how bombs could be planted in the sewer
s and drains near the Yishun MRT Station in order to cause massive casualties when targeting United States personnel. The video also showed a man describing how explosive can be strapped on bicycles and be transported without raising suspicion. Investigators in Singapore had found similar tapes at the residence of Mohamed Khalim bin Jaffar, one of arrested JI members. The Singapore government presented these material as evidences of a direct link between the JI group and Al-Qaeda.
On 15 January 2002, Fathur Rahman al-Ghozi
was arrested by authorities in the Philippines. He gave police information that led to a cache of rifles, explosive and bomb-making material in Southern Philippines. These were believed to be part of the embassies attack plot.
In August 2002, ISD conducted another major security operation and arrested 18 persons, most of them were members of JI, while two were members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF), a militant separatist group in the Philippines.
of the Singapore Police Force
were posted at the embassies to enhance their security.
List of persons arrested in August/September 2002:
Detained between October 2002 and December 2003
Detained in 2005
Jemaah Islamiyah
Jemaah Islamiah , is a Southeast Asian militant Islamic organization dedicated to the establishment of a Daulah Islamiyah in Southeast Asia incorporating Indonesia, Malaysia, the southern Philippines, Singapore and Brunei...
(JI) to bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
the diplomatic missions and attack personnel of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
based in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. There were also several other targets. The plot was uncovered in December 2001 and as many as 15 people were arrested in Singapore within a month. Further investigation and intelligence prompted the detention of another 26 persons from 2002 to 2005. As of 2006, 37 of them were still being detained without trial, under the Internal Security Act
Internal Security Act (Singapore)
The Internal Security Act of Singapore is a law that allows the Singapore government to investigate security threats like international terrorism, foreign subversion, espionage and acts of violence or hatred using race or religion...
. Four had been released on restriction orders.
JI branch in Singapore
The Singapore JI branch was started as early as 1993, when Ibrahim Maidin underwent military training in Afghanistan and was subsequently appointed leader of JI in Singapore. By conducting religious classes, Maidin began recruiting other members into the JI organisation.At least eight of the sleeper cell members had received training in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Riduan Isamuddin
Riduan Isamuddin
Riduan Isamuddin also transliterated as Riduan Isamudin, Riduan Isomuddin, and Riduan Isomudin, better known by the nom de guerre Hambali, born as Encep Nurjaman, born April 4, 1964 is the former military leader of the Indonesian terrorist organization Jemaah Islamiyah , which is linked with Al...
, the leader of JI who is better known as Hambali, had arranged their travels to Pakistan, using false documents and cover stories that they were accepted by a religious school for religious studies. They stayed in an al-Qaeda safe house
Safe house
In the jargon of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, a safe house is a secure location, suitable for hiding witnesses, agents or other persons perceived as being in danger...
in Pakistan before travelling to Afghanistan, where they received training in the use of AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
s, mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
s, and military tactics. Several members also attended a training camp in southern Philippines, known as Camp Hudaybiyya, set up by Moro Islamic Liberation Front
Moro Islamic Liberation Front
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is an Islamist group located in the southern Philippines. It is one of two Islamic militant groups, the other being the Abu Sayyaf, that are fighting against Government of the Philippines...
(MILF) and run by Indonesian JI members.
The Singapore branch of JI was organised into at least three groups. The first cell, which was called "Fiah Ayub" (first cell) and the second cell was called "Fiah Musa". The Singapore branch was headed by Ibrahim Maidin and Faiz bin Abi Bakar Bafana was the second in command. The Singapore branch was under the command of a Malaysia-based leadership structure called a regional shura (consultative council), within the larger network of JI organisation in Southeast Asia. Members of the cell did not attend local mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
or made little contact with other mainstream Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic organisations in the country. The group operated in tight secrecy and were using code words in their communication.
Surveillance activities
According to investigation, the cell had conducted survey for other targets as early as 1997, when the cell was planning to target the Yishun MRT StationYishun MRT Station
Yishun MRT Station is a Mass Rapid Transit station in Singapore, built above ground level. It is the northernmost of 2 stations serving Yishun New Town and is part of the North South Line. This used to be the terminus of the line until the Woodlands extension was completed which connects the...
, where American troops and their families used to take shuttle rides to a U.S. Navy site at Sembawang
Sembawang
Sembawang is an area in the Northern-most portion of Singapore, encompassing the largest land mass within the Sembawang Group Representation Constituency. The incumbent Member of Parliament for the Sembawang Constituency is Khaw Boon Wan. The constituency jurisdiction extends into the Woodlands...
for recreation activities at a sports complex coincidentally known as "Terror Club", named after the last Royal Navy's shore accommodation establishment around the same area, HMS Terror. In 1999, a member of the Singapore cell, Khalim Jaffar travelled to Afghanistan and presented the plan to Al Qaeda's leaders. Mohammed Atef
Mohammed Atef
Mohammed Atef was the alleged military chief of al-Qaida, although his role in the organization was not well known by intelligence agencies for years...
, a close aide of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
, gave JI the go-ahead for the attack, but the plan was not pursued for unknown reasons.
In April 2001, a member of the cell, who was working at the Singapore Technologies Aerospace, took digital photographs of American military aircraft and personnel at Paya Lebar Airbase
Paya Lebar Airbase
Paya Lebar Air Base is a military airbase of the Republic of Singapore Air Force located at Paya Lebar, in the central-eastern part of Singapore, the airbase goes by the motto of "Strength Through Readiness"....
, and distributed them to other cell members.
The cell had also surveyed other potential targets including water pipelines at the Johor-Singapore Causeway
Johor-Singapore Causeway
The Johor–Singapore Causeway is a 1,056-metre causeway that links the city of Johor Bahru in Malaysia across the Straits of Johor to the town of Woodlands in Singapore. It serves as a road, rail, and pedestrian link, as well as water piping into Singapore.The causeway is connected to the...
, Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore Changi Airport , Changi International Airport, or simply Changi Airport, is the main airport in Singapore. A major aviation hub in Southeast Asia, it is about north-east from the commercial centre in Changi, on a site....
, the radar station at Biggin Hill
Biggin Hill
Biggin Hill is an area and electoral ward in the outskirts of the London Borough of Bromley in southeast London, United Kingdom.-History:Historically the settlement was known as Aperfield and formed part of the parish of Cudham...
, and the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (Singapore)
The Ministry of Defence is a ministry of the Government of Singapore entrusted with overseeing the national defence needs of the Republic of Singapore. It is the headquarters of the Singapore Armed Forces...
at Bukit Gombak
Bukit Gombak
Bukit Gombak is a neighbourhood in the west-central area of the Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore. In the Malay language, bukit means hill and gombak a bunch or collection of something....
Embassies attack plot
In early October 2001, Fathur Rahman al-GhoziFathur Rahman al-Ghozi
Fathur Rahman al-Ghozi was a key operative and bomb-maker of the Islamic militant Jemaah Islamiya group...
, also known as Mike, and Mohammed Jabarah, also known as Sammy, flew to Singapore and directed the sleeper cell to conduct "final reconnaissance" and video recordings of potential targets. The two operatives gave instructions to the cell to prepare for attacks in Singapore. Among the targets were U.S. and Israeli Embassies, British and Australian High Commissions, the Singapore American School, and commercial buildings housing US firms. They planned to launch the attacks in December 2001/January 2002 or April/May 2002.
Philippine authorities said that al-Ghozi, a bombmaker, had three Philippine passports and an Indonesian passport. Investigators later revealed al-Ghozi's ties with Abu Bakar Bashir
Abu Bakar Bashir
Abu Bakar Bashir Abu Bakar Bashir Abu Bakar Bashir (also Abubakar Ba'asyir, Abdus Somad, and Ustad Abu ("Teacher Abu"), born 17 August 1938, is an Indonesian Muslim cleric and leader of the Indonesian Mujahedeen Council (MMI)....
, the alleged spiritual head of Jemaah Islamiyah
Jemaah Islamiyah
Jemaah Islamiah , is a Southeast Asian militant Islamic organization dedicated to the establishment of a Daulah Islamiyah in Southeast Asia incorporating Indonesia, Malaysia, the southern Philippines, Singapore and Brunei...
. al-Ghozi had studied in Bashir's religious school in Indonesia for six years. The other man, Sammy, was later identified as Mohd Mansour Jabarah, a Canadian national of Arab descent, who was in US custody (as of 2003) and sentenced to life in prison in 2008.
The cell members then set off to procure 17 tons of explosives, especially that of ammonium nitrate, along with truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
s and chemicals. JI has close ties with Kumpulan Militan Malaysia (KMM), a militant group in Malaysia. Yazid Sufaat
Yazid Sufaat
The Malaysian Yazid Sufaat was a member of the Islamist terrorist organization Jemaah Islamiyah from shortly after its foundation in 1993 until his arrest by Malaysian authorities on 9 December 2001....
, a KMM member, had purchased 4 tons of ammonium nitrate which were already made available to the Singapore cell for the bombings. In an interview on PBS, Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
pointed out that each bomb would be twice the size of the one detonated by Timothy McVeigh
Timothy McVeigh
Timothy James McVeigh was a United States Army veteran and security guard who detonated a truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995...
at the Alfred P. Murrah building in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
.
Failure of plot
After the September 11, 2001 attacksSeptember 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, an informant
Informant
An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants , and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information...
told the Internal Security Department
Internal Security Department
The Internal Security Department is a domestic intelligence agency of the Ministry of Home Affairs of Singapore. It was formerly part of the Ministry of Interior and Defence until it was split on 11 August 1970...
about Muhammad Aslam Yar Ali Khan, who is a Singaporean citizen of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i descent and had made claims of having ties with Al-Qaeda. Khan was placed under surveillance, but he abruptly left Singapore for Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
on October 4. He was later captured by United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan
United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan
The United Islamic Front , known in the West and Pakistan as the Northern Alliance, was a military-political umbrella organization created by the Islamic State of Afghanistan in 1996 under the leadership of Defense Minister Ahmad Shah Massoud...
officials. His interrogation led investigators to the Singaporean cell.
Singapore authorities conducted the first raid on 9 December 2001, arresting six people. A total of 15 people were arrested within a month. During the raids, the police seized documents of the attack plots and bomb making information, as well as photographs and surveillance video of the intended targets including the embassies. Fake passports and forged immigration documents were also found.
Soon after, a JI-made surveillance video was recovered among the rubbles of a house that was bombed by US coalition forces in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. It was the home of Mohammed Atef
Mohammed Atef
Mohammed Atef was the alleged military chief of al-Qaida, although his role in the organization was not well known by intelligence agencies for years...
, a close aide of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
. The video showed a narrator in Singapore, Hashim bin Abas, describing how bombs could be hidden to attack United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
interests. Besides the embassies, the plotters were also planning to target United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
warplanes that were stationed at Paya Lebar Air Force Base
Paya Lebar Airbase
Paya Lebar Air Base is a military airbase of the Republic of Singapore Air Force located at Paya Lebar, in the central-eastern part of Singapore, the airbase goes by the motto of "Strength Through Readiness"....
, as well as several United States companies and businesses. There were also plans to attack U.S. Navy warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
s along Singapore's coastlines, similar to the USS Cole bombing
USS Cole bombing
The USS Cole Bombing, or the USS Cole Incident, was a suicide attack against the United States Navy destroyer on October 12, 2000 while it was harbored and refueled in the Yemeni port of Aden. Seventeen American sailors were killed, and 39 were injured...
in Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
in October 2000.
The JI group were also plotting to attack United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
personnel and their families who often traveled between the Yishun MRT Station
Yishun MRT Station
Yishun MRT Station is a Mass Rapid Transit station in Singapore, built above ground level. It is the northernmost of 2 stations serving Yishun New Town and is part of the North South Line. This used to be the terminus of the line until the Woodlands extension was completed which connects the...
and Sembawang
Sembawang
Sembawang is an area in the Northern-most portion of Singapore, encompassing the largest land mass within the Sembawang Group Representation Constituency. The incumbent Member of Parliament for the Sembawang Constituency is Khaw Boon Wan. The constituency jurisdiction extends into the Woodlands...
Wharf
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
via shuttle buses. The video also detailed how bombs could be planted in the sewer
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
s and drains near the Yishun MRT Station in order to cause massive casualties when targeting United States personnel. The video also showed a man describing how explosive can be strapped on bicycles and be transported without raising suspicion. Investigators in Singapore had found similar tapes at the residence of Mohamed Khalim bin Jaffar, one of arrested JI members. The Singapore government presented these material as evidences of a direct link between the JI group and Al-Qaeda.
On 15 January 2002, Fathur Rahman al-Ghozi
Fathur Rahman al-Ghozi
Fathur Rahman al-Ghozi was a key operative and bomb-maker of the Islamic militant Jemaah Islamiya group...
was arrested by authorities in the Philippines. He gave police information that led to a cache of rifles, explosive and bomb-making material in Southern Philippines. These were believed to be part of the embassies attack plot.
In August 2002, ISD conducted another major security operation and arrested 18 persons, most of them were members of JI, while two were members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
Moro Islamic Liberation Front
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is an Islamist group located in the southern Philippines. It is one of two Islamic militant groups, the other being the Abu Sayyaf, that are fighting against Government of the Philippines...
(MILF), a militant separatist group in the Philippines.
Heightened security
Following the arrests, the U.S., British, and Australian embassies in Singapore were placed on heightened alert. Members of the elite Gurkha ContingentGurkha Contingent
The Gurkha Contingent is a line department of the Singapore Police Force. Members of the GC are trained to be highly-skilled and are selected for their display of strong discipline and dedication in their tasks...
of the Singapore Police Force
Singapore Police Force
The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...
were posted at the embassies to enhance their security.
Timeline
Timeline of plot, arrests and related incidents.- 1993 - Sleeper cell began to form in Singapore.
- 1997 - Cell conducted surveillance at Yishun MRT station
- April 2001 - Cell conducted surveillance at Paya Lebar AirbasePaya Lebar AirbasePaya Lebar Air Base is a military airbase of the Republic of Singapore Air Force located at Paya Lebar, in the central-eastern part of Singapore, the airbase goes by the motto of "Strength Through Readiness"....
. - 11 September 2001 - Coordinated series of terrorist attacks in the United States by Al-QaedaAl-QaedaAl-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
. - September 2001 - An informant told Internal Security DepartmentInternal Security DepartmentThe Internal Security Department is a domestic intelligence agency of the Ministry of Home Affairs of Singapore. It was formerly part of the Ministry of Interior and Defence until it was split on 11 August 1970...
of Muhammad Aslam Yar Ali Khan's ties with Al-Qaeda. Ali Khan was placed under surveillance. - 4 October 2001 - Muhammad Aslam Yar Ali Khan left for Pakistan, he was soon captured by Northern Alliance.
- 7 October 2001 - U.S. invaded AfghanistanWar in Afghanistan (2001–present)The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
. - 7 October 2001 - Fathur Rahman al-GhoziFathur Rahman al-GhoziFathur Rahman al-Ghozi was a key operative and bomb-maker of the Islamic militant Jemaah Islamiya group...
and Sammy arrived in Singapore to direct sleeper cell. - 9 December 2001 - ISD arrested 6 people. A total of 15 people would be arrested in December 2001.
- January 2002 - 2 people were released on Restriction Order
- 15 January 2002 - Al-Ghozi was arrested in the Philippines, a large cache of explosives was uncovered
- August 2002 - ISD arrested another 21 people
- September 2002 - 3 people were released on Restriction Order
- 12 October 2002 - Bali bombing2002 Bali bombingThe 2002 Bali bombings occurred on 12 October 2002 in the tourist district of Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali. The attack was claimed as the deadliest act of terrorism in the history of Indonesia according to the current police general, killing 202 people,...
by Jemaah Islamiyah.
List of detainees
List of persons arrested in December 2001/January 2002- Ibrahim Maidin, leader of Singapore JI branch
- Faiz bin Abu Bakar Bafana, second-in-command
- Mohamed Khalim bin Jaffar, leader of Fiah Ayub (first cell)
- Fazi Abu Bakar Bafana,
- Hashim bin Abas,
- Mohamed Nazir bin Mohmmed Uthman,
- Adnan bin Musa,
- Andrew Gerard @ Ali Ridhaa bin Abdullah,
- Halim bin Hussain,
- Mohamad Anuar bin Margono,
- Ja'afar bin Mistooki,
- Mohamed Ellias s/o Mohamed Khan,
- Othman bin Mohamed,
List of persons arrested in August/September 2002:
- Ab Wahab bin Ahmad
- Syed Ibrahim
- Simon bin Sabtu
- Mohamed Noor bin Sulaimi,
- Munain bin Turru,
- Naharudin bin Sabtu,
- Sanin bin Riffin,
- Nordin bin Parman,
- Mohd Jauhari bin Abdullah,
- Salim bin Marwan,
- Mahfuh bin Haji Halimi,
- Azman bin Jalani,
- Said bin Ismail,
- Faiz Abdullah Ashiblie,
- Zulkifli bin Mohamed Jaffar,
- Habibullah s/o Hameed,
- Husin bin Ab Aziz,
- Abdul Majid s/o Niaz Mohamed. Detained in September 2002, released in April 2005.
Detained between October 2002 and December 2003
- Mohd Aslam bin Yar Ali Khan
- Arifin bin Ali,
- Muhammad Arif bin Naharudin
- Muhammad Amin bin Mohd Yunos
- Hosnay bin Awi,
- Alahuddeen bin Abdullah
- Faisel bin Abdullah Abdat. Detained in February 2003, released in October 2002
Detained in 2005
- Jahpar bin Osman. Detained on 21 April 2005