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ISD Foils Teen’s Plot to Attack Mosques in Singapore

 




A 17-year-old Singaporean was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) after plotting to attack five mosques and kill at least 100 Muslims. Inspired by the Christchurch mosque shootings in 2019, he had planned to carry out the attacks after Friday prayers and then take his own life. His radicalisation, which began in 2022, was detected during investigations into another extremist, 18-year-old Nick Lee, who was detained in December 2024.

The Internal Security Department (ISD) revealed on April 2 that the teenager had engaged with Islamophobic and far-right extremist content online, developing a deep hatred for Muslims and Malays. He identified as an "East Asian supremacist," believing that Han Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese were superior to Malays and Indians. He frequently shared extremist content and participated in online debates to criticise Islam. His radicalisation escalated in late 2023 after watching the Christchurch shooter’s video, which he viewed as inspirational.

He attempted to acquire firearms multiple times, contacting sellers in the United States and online gun makers. He explored 3D-printing gun parts and even considered smuggling weapons from Malaysia or Thailand. Despite his efforts, he was unsuccessful. His final plan involved targeting Masjid Maarof in Jurong West, where he hoped to achieve the highest possible casualty count. He intended to live-stream the attack, just as the Christchurch shooter had done.

ISD stated that while the teen acted alone, his radicalisation paralleled that of Nick Lee, though they had never met in person. Lee had also subscribed to far-right extremism and shared Islamophobic content.

In a separate case, a 15-year-old girl was issued a restriction order under the ISA for attempting to contact ISIS fighters. She wanted to marry a terrorist and become a martyr in Syria, making her the youngest female Singaporean dealt with under the ISA.

The ISD noted a concerning trend of young people becoming radicalised through online content. Since 2015, 17 individuals aged 20 and below have been dealt with under the ISA, nine of whom had planned attacks in Singapore. This includes four far-right extremists since 2020, all influenced by the Christchurch shooter’s manifesto.

At a media briefing on April 2, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam addressed the severity of the issue, stating that self-radicalisation poses a growing threat to Singapore’s security. He warned that extremists only need to succeed once to cause harm, while authorities must remain vigilant at all times. Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim urged families to report signs of radicalisation early, as neither of the detained teens' families had alerted the authorities despite noticing worrying behavior.

The ISD encouraged the public to report any suspicions of radicalisation to their hotline.

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