JI fugitive Mas Selamat Kastari planning escape to Indonesia
Posted: 29 February 2008 1814 hrs

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Mas Selamat Kastari is hiding in Singapore and planning ways to escape to Indonesia says terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna.

The Singapore-based head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research also told Channel NewsAsia that Kastari doesn't have the capacity to launch any attack right now as he is alone and with one objective, that is to survive and evade capture.

"He (Kastari) knows that Singapore is a hostile environment for him" said Dr Rohan. "He knows that if he is in Singapore, he will be captured,someone will inform the authorities."

Dr Rohan who has extensively researched the JI, described Kastari as a determined and ruthless terrorist who is an escape artist.

"I am shocked by his escape but I am not suprised" said the JI expert, citing a similar attempt made while in custody in Indonesia. He went on to say that Kastari would try to change his appearance and identity although not completely.

Singapore officials in their hunt for Kastari have released two photos of the Singapore JI leader both bearded and clean-shaven. They have also been delivering leaflets to homes to inform the public of the wanted man who walks with a limp after being injured while trying to escape in Indonesia.

Interpol has been put on alert for Kastari with his photograph and fingerprints sent to 186 countries.

According to Dr Rohan, it is hard to be certain if Kastari has any accomplices or whether he had help in escaping from the Whitley Detention Centre. "He does not enjoy public support, even when he planned those attacks in the past, the cells that supported him constituted just a handful of members. Singaporean Muslims are shocked and suprised that a fellow Singaporean wanted to do big attacks like that in Singapore."

Kastari had planned to hijack a plane and crash it into Singapore's Changi Airport. According to Dr Rohan, an attack of that scale would have helped elevate Kastari who is now number two in the ranks of the JI.

Following his arrest, most of Kastari's known contacts have been arrested or are under close watch. This said the JI expert, will limit Kastari's access to weapons and crimp his capability to plan any attack. - CNA/sf