Home Affairs Ministry on Tuesday said 37 people have been investigated by police in Singapore after recent deadly Islamist terrorist attacks in Austria and France.
While the ministry said there is “no indication that any of these individuals had been planning any attacks or protests in Singapore,” 16 of the 23 foreign nationals investigated have been “repatriated”.
The ministry said one Malaysian was sent back to his home country after he was found to be radicalised and harboured the intention to travel to Syria or Palestine to partake in armed violence.
Fifteen Bangladeshi nationals, most of them construction workers, were deported after they made social media postings in response to the recent attacks in Europe, “which incited violence or stoked communal unrest”.
One of the arrested intended to attack Hindus in his home country and said he wanted to fight in Syria and Kashmir.
Singapore’s economy depends heavily on foreign workers from neighbouring Asian countries in sectors such as construction, security and domestic help.
Migrants in sectors such as construction have borne the brunt of the novel coronavirus pandemic in Singapore, accounting for almost all of the roughly 58,000 cases diagnosed.
The ministry said fourteen Singaporeans are still being investigated as part of an operation intended to pre-empt copycat attacks in Singapore. (dpa)
