Palembang terror suspects linked with S`pore networks, Noordin M Top: Police

National Police Chief Spokesman Insp Gen Abubakar Nataprawira said on Thursday the nine teror suspects arrested in South Sumatra during the past two days had links with terror networks in Singapore and wanted top terror suspect Noordin M Top.

In Singapore, the networks included the group of Mas Slamet Kastari (Singapore national). Kastari (45) escaped from a jail on Whitley Street, Singapore, some time ago.

He had been held since 2006 on charges of terror offenses, namely planning an attack on government buildings, airport and foreign representative offices in Singapore in 2001.

Kastari was also once detained in Indonesia in 2003 for an immigration law violation. After walking free in 2006, he was extradited to Singapore.

Abubakar said the South Sumatra networks were known to have links with the Singapore rings after police arrested a suspect identfied as HM (35) in Sekayu sub district, Musi Banyuasin district, South Sumatra, on June 28, 2008.

"The police arrested MH after they obtained a tipoff from Singapore that he was involved in terror activities in that country," Abubakar said.

After obtaining information from MH, police arrested nine other suspects, namely AT alias M alias K alias I (35), SG alias S alias R (22), AM alias Z (26), W alias Y alias R (35), AG alias G (36), HP alias H (25), AS alias AH alias UG (42), SA alias AB and AMT alias AT.

The nine terror suspects ...