Net widens in Singapore terror probe-report

Net widens in Singapore terror probe-report

Reuters, Singapore

Singapore authorities have interviewed more people suspected of having terror links in the city state, Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng was reported by local media as saying on Wednesday.

Wong was quoted by the ChannelNewsAsia.com website as saying "further action" might be taken against those interviewed who are believed to be involved with the clandestine Jemaah Islamiah (JI) network.

Singapore arrested 14 Singaporeans and one Malaysian in December on suspicion of plotting to bomb U.S. targets in the city-state. Two have since been freed and the rest detained without trial for two years under internal security laws.

Singapore says the 13 currently detained belong to the JI group and are suspected of having links with the al-Qaeda network blamed by Washington for the Sept. 11 attacks.

Home Affairs officials were not immediately available to comment.

The suspected militants detained in Singapore for an alleged bomb plot had envisioned a network of Islamic states in the region, Wong added.

"This terrorism problem will not go away because according to one of the key leaders of the group being detained, he said they regretted taking action in Singapore so soon," Wong said.

"He's (the JI leader) firmly of the view that sooner or later, Malaysia, Indonesia and Mindanao will implement Syariah (Islamic) law and that when these places turn Islamic, Singapore, because it's squeezed in between, will sooner or later, become an Islamic state," he said.

Wong did not name the detainee who made the remarks but hinted that his name may be revealed later, the website said.

In a prepared speech, Wong said the security operation against the detained group of suspected militants has involved more than 600 hours of surveillance and generated over 65,000 leads.