SINGAPORE: A 35-year-old Singaporean man was charged on Monday (Apr 15) for providing money to support the publication of Islamic State (IS) propaganda for terrorist purposes, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a media release.

Imran Kassim has been detained since August 2017 under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for intending to undertake armed violence overseas.





READ: 2 Singaporeans arrested under ISA for terror-related activities: MHA



An investigation by the Commercial Affairs Department also found that he had given S$450 to a man in Turkey for the publication of IS propaganda, said MHA.



According to court documents, Imran allegedly transferred the money on Oct 31, 2014, through Western Union Global Network to a man named Mohamad Alsaied Alhmidan.

"This act of providing money in support of terrorist purposes is a serious offence, regardless of the amount, under the Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act," said MHA.





If Imran is convicted, the detention order against him will be cancelled, and he will serve the jail term imposed by the court, MHA said.

"To prevent him spreading his radical ideas to other inmates, he will be held separately, and will continue to undergo rehabilitation whilst serving his prison sentence," the ministry added.



At the end of the sentence, an assessment will be made to see if he has been successfully rehabilitated.

"If he remains a threat, he may be detained further under the ISA," MHA said.



Anyone found guilty of providing property and services for terrorist purposes may be jailed for up to 10 years and fined up to S$500,000.

Anyone with information of such activities should inform the authorities promptly, said MHA.



HISTORY OF PRO-ISLAMIC STATE BELIEFS

It was reported in 2017 that Imran, a managing director of a logistics company, was radicalised by IS propaganda.



He had admitted that he was prepared to attack Singapore Armed Forces personnel deployed in the global coalition to fight IS, or hold them hostages to demand ransom from the Singapore Government and use the money to boost the militant group's finances.



According to MHA, Imran had also tried to join IS in Syria on at least two occasions.



In February 2014, he travelled to Syria to oversee the delivery of humanitarian aid to a refugee camp that was arranged by the logistics company he worked for. He tried to slip away from his hosts at the refugee camp but was unsuccessful.



In March 2015, Imran contacted a pro-IS foreign contact to facilitate his entry into Syria to join the militant group but did not receive any reply.

He had also used social media to galvanise support for IS and had tried, unsuccessfully, to influence his friends with radical views.​​​​​​​

