An Australian teenager was prevented from entering Singapore last month due to past investigations into terrorism-related activities, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) disclosed on November 12.
According to the report, the 17-year-old, who arrived in Singapore with four family members on October 24 from Melbourne, underwent an interview and security checks upon arrival.
The ministry revealed that the teen had been investigated by Australian authorities in 2021 for radicalisation and connections to terrorism.
According to MHA, the teenager had displayed a concerning fixation on the terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and had allegedly expressed intentions to execute a school shooting.
Furthermore, he reportedly conducted research on bomb-making and was in communication with like-minded individuals.
MHA added : “In view of his terrorism-related antecedents, the youth was denied entry into Singapore, and slated to be repatriated to Melbourne with an accompanying family member.”
Given these alarming antecedents, the youth was denied entry into Singapore and was scheduled to be repatriated to Melbourne alongside a family member. MHA stated that while the other family members had the choice to enter Singapore, they opted to return with the teen. They were placed on the next available flight back to Melbourne on October 25.
During their wait at the airport for their departure, the family was escorted to a designated holding area. In accordance with safety protocols, their personal belongings and luggage were secured, and certain items such as shoelaces were removed to prevent potential harm.
The family was separated into gender-specific holding rooms, which were monitored and equipped with CCTV for safety.
The family had access to essential amenities, including food, water, and restrooms. They were allowed to gather and interact during designated meal times. However, reports from The Guardian indicated that the family, including the teen who is known by the pseudonym Thomas Carrick, faced distressing conditions while being held overnight at the airport.
According to The Guardian report, the boy, now aged 17, was held in a room with more than a dozen other detainees, one of whom asked him to “come under the blanket with me”, his father said.
Carrick’s father criticized the treatment, describing it as “unfair” and “inhumane,” while asserting that the holding conditions were inadequate.
Carrick had previously been investigated at the age of 13 in Australia but was eventually cleared of any criminal activities. Despite this, a “red flag” was placed on his passport, prompting the recent actions taken by Singaporean authorities.
A February 14 report from Australian broadcaster ABC News cited the Australian Federal Police, which defended a covert operation that allegedly further radicalised the teenager.
At the age of 13, Thomas became the subject of an undercover operation by the joint counter-terrorism team (JCTT), which includes members from the Australian federal police, Victoria police, and Asio. Shortly after turning 14, he was charged with two terror offences.
However, in October 2023, the court issued a permanent stay in his case, partly due to the discovery that undercover operatives posing as Islamic State sympathisers had “fed” the boy’s fixation on the terrorist organization.
“The community would not expect law enforcement officers to encourage a 13-14 year old child towards racial hatred, distrust of police and violent extremism, encouraging the child’s fixation on ISIS,” the magistrate, Lesley Fleming, said in the decision as per The Guardian report.
The operation purportedly involved an undercover officer engaging with Carrick online, suggesting that he would make a suitable sniper or suicide bomber.
Thomas had plans for his family to spend three days in Singapore followed by six days in Kuala Lumpur before heading home.
However, he was denied entry into Singapore, detained with his family for approximately 30 hours, and subsequently escorted onto a flight home by five armed officials from Singapore.
The family was informed that the reason for their inability to enter the country was due to a “red flag” or “red alert” placed on Thomas’s passport. They were also told that this would make it impossible for them to enter several countries, including Malaysia.
Thomas, a sibling, and his father were part of 16 detainees held in a room furnished with bunk beds. Thomas’s father noted that the room was always illuminated, making it nearly impossible to sleep. Meanwhile, Thomas’s mother and youngest sibling were kept in a different room.
They were required to surrender all their belongings and have their shoelaces taken away.
In its statement to CNA, MHA said that “Singapore government takes a serious view of anyone who supports, advocates or engages in violence or terrorism, and works closely with its international counterparts to keep the country safe and secure”.
Image via google for illustration
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