COVERED HIS TRACKS
The youth also sought to propagate his beliefs by actively sharing on social media radical materials promoting armed jihad, including chants by Islamic State.
“He admitted that he wanted to influence his followers into hating non-Muslims and believing that it was acceptable to kill them,” said ISD.
He also frequently shared segregationist beliefs, such as advising Muslims not to interact with non-Muslims or participate in non-Muslim festivals.
ISD investigations thus far found that the youth was unsuccessful in radicalising his followers or contacts, and that he acted alone.
His family and friends were unaware of his plans to conduct an attack in Singapore or engage in armed violence in Syria, the agency said.
However, his parents had noticed him watching videos of foreign preachers and advised him against it, saying the material may not be suitable for Singapore’s context. But the student paid no heed.
Instead, he took steps to conceal his activities, such as using codewords when discussing his radical beliefs online and virtual private networks (VPNs) when surfing radical websites, said ISD.
The agency noted that this latest case underscores the trend of youth radicalisation seen in recent years.
And such radicalisation – which usually takes place online – can occur within a short span of a few months.
ISD also pointed to the growing threat of lone-actor attacks against soft targets, using simple and easily accessible weapons, as the Islamic State and other terrorist groups call on their followers to mount attacks wherever they are located.
Anyone who knows or suspects that a person has been radicalised should contact the ISD hotline at 1800-2626-473.
