Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed on Thursday that two Indonesians have been deported after it was established that one of them had intensions of travelling to Syria via Singapore with the assistance of the second individual. The Jakarta Post reported that both are suspected Islamic State supporters.
"Singapore authorities informed their Indonesian counterparts before the deportation," a MHA spokesperson told Channel NewsAsia.
According to The Jakarta Post, the two Indonesians include a 40-year-old man living in Batam and a 40-year-old woman born in West Java.
Saptono Erlangga, a spokesperson for Riau Islands Police, said both of them have already been handed over to the police. "The Batam Police, together with the Immigration Office, are now investigating the two individuals," Erlangga told The Jakarta Post.
The spokesperson added that both of them were questioned at HarbourFront Centre's immigration checkpoint that serves Batam-Singapore ferry routes. The report said that the duo have admitted of planning to depart for Syria during the interrogation.
After questioning them for almost 24 hours, both of them were reportedly deported to Batam.
In February, four Indonesians were deported from Singapore while they were allegedly travelling to Syria to join Islamic State. All of them were aged between 15 and 29. Those four men were believed to be followers of a radical Indonesian ideologue, who is currently in jail for terrorism.
