Jemaah Islamiyah leader Mas Selamat escapes from Singapore prison
Saturday, March 1, 2008
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Interpol has issued an "Orange Notice" for the leader of southeast Asian Jemaah Islamiyah, Mas Selamat bin Kastari, who escaped from a detention center Wednesday.
Singapore Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng told his Parliament that a "security lapse" is what led to Mas Selamat's escape. While waiting to visit his family, Mas Selamat escaped from the Internal Security Department's Whitley Road detention facility shortly after 4 PM local time after being granted permission to use the washroom. The escape led to Mr. Wong apologizing for the incident and the beginning of an island-wide manhunt for Selamat.
"When it comes to escapes, the first hours are crucial," said Jean-Michel Louboutin, Interpol's executive director of police services. "The state of Singapore has put into operation everything that's needed to be done. It's a small country, so it's easy to cross and leave."
Selamat, a 47-year-old former bus mechanic and a father of 5, was once accused of plotting to hijack a plane and crash it into Singapore's international airport. He is "someone who presents a potential physical danger to others, but also a potential danger by organizing future bombings," Louboutin said.
Mas Selamat bin Kastari, a Singaporean national of Indonesian birth and extraction, stands 158 cm (about 5 feet 2 1/4 inches) tall and walks with a limp in his left leg.
After the "Orange Notice" was released, Mas Selamat's picture and fingerprints were released to Interpol's 186 member countries. He remains at large.
Sources
- "Interpol issues global alert for escaped S'pore terror leader" — The Straits Times, February 29, 2008
- Associated Press. "Interpol issues global alert for Singapore terror fugitive" — International Herald Tribune, March 1, 2008
- "Interpol issues alert for Singapore fugitive" — USA Today, February 29, 2008
- "INTERPOL issues global alert for suspected terror leader following escape from Singapore jail" — Interpol, February 28, 2008
- "Wanted poster: Mas Selamat bin Kastari" — Singapore Police Force, February 27, 2008
External links
- Interpol Notice - bin Kastari, Mas Selamat
