Australian teen investigated for terrorism-related activities stopped from entering Singapore in October: MHA

SINGAPORE: An Australian teen who was investigated for terrorism-related activities was stopped from entering Singapore in October, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday (Nov 12). 

The 17-year-old had arrived from Melbourne, Australia with four family members on Oct 24. He was then interviewed and subjected to checks.

In response to CNA queries, MHA said the teen was previously investigated by the Australian authorities for radicalisation and terrorism-related activities in 2021. 

He reportedly had a fixation on the terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and had expressed a desire to carry out a school shooting. 

“He also allegedly researched materials on bomb-making and was in communication with like-minded individuals,” said the ministry. 

“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.”

MHA said the teen’s other family members were given the option of entering Singapore. However, they decided to return to Melbourne with him and were placed on the next earliest flight to Melbourne on Oct 25. 

While waiting for their departing flight, the family was escorted to a holding room. 

“For safety reasons as per the prevailing protocols, their personal items and luggage were surrendered for safekeeping, including the removal of shoelaces to prevent potential harm to themselves or others. 

“The family was housed in separate, gender-specific holding rooms, which were well-lit and monitored by CCTV cameras to ensure the safety and security of all persons in the holding room,” added MHA. 

The ministry said they also had access to amenities including food, water and restrooms, and were allowed to gather during mealtimes and interact with one another at designated communal spaces during the permitted time periods. 

The Guardian reported on Nov 4 that the teen, who suffers from autism, and his two primary-school aged siblings were held overnight at the airport, in a room with “more than a dozen other detainees”. 

The youth’s father was quoted as saying that the treatment was not “fair” nor “human” and that the conditions of the detention facility were poor. 

The teen – known by the pseudonym Thomas Carrick – was 13 when he was investigated by Australian authorities. He was later cleared of any criminal reoffending.

However, a “red flag” or “red alert” was put on his passport despite this, according The Guardian. 

In a Feb 14 report by Australian broadcaster ABC News, the Australian Federal Police also defended a covert operation which was found to have further radicalised the teen.

The operation reportedly included an undercover officer targeting the teen online and telling him he would make a good sniper or suicide bomber. 

MHA said in its statement that a visitor’s entry into Singapore is neither automatic nor a right.

“Each case is assessed on its own merits,” said the ministry.

MHA added that the 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.

About 2,500 visitors are refused entry to Singapore every month for various reasons.