Singapore detains 8 Bangladeshi construction workers for terror links

The radicalised men had originally planned to join foreign fighters waging jihad in Syria.

As many as eight Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested so far this year under Singapore's Internal Security Act (ISA), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Tuesday.

The arrested men were employed in the local construction and marine industries, the ministry said.

The radicalised men had originally planned to join foreign fighters waging jihad in Syria but later changed the plan as it became difficult to travel to the Middle East.

The Isis-sympathizers wanted to return to Bangladesh and topple the government there as part of the mission to further the cause of jihad in Asia.

Singaporean investigators said the group had drawn up plans to attack several targets in Bangladesh.

The ministry said a document titled "We Need for Jihad Fight" recovered from the detained men had details of government and military targets.

"The Singapore Government takes a very serious view of any form of support for terrorism. Any person, foreigner or otherwise, who engages in any activity that is inimical to Singapore's national security and racial and religious harmony will be firmly dealt with under the law," the MHS said in a statement.

Following the Jakarta attack n November Singapore tightened its watch over possible terror plans in the state.

The government said in January it had arrested 27 Bangladeshis for Islamic terror links. The home ministry said members of the group routinely met a mosque and had considered carrying out armed attacks overseas. Investigations revealed they did not intend to attack Singapore but were planning jihadi style strikes in the Middle East and Bangladesh.

Singapore deported the arrested men to Bangladesh as they had not committed any act of terror in its soil. Bangladesh later said it jailed 14 of those for links to militant jihad.

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