Capture
On 8 May 2009, the media in Singapore reported that Mas Selamat had been captured by Malaysian authorities in Johor, Malaysia. This report was later confirmed by both the Singapore and Malaysian governments, with the date of capture given as 1 April 2009. Malaysian Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein confirmed that Mas Selamat is being held under the Internal Security Act, saying that he was "planning something, which allowed us to arrest him". Hishammuddin declined to give details, since the case is sensitive as it involves intelligence agencies of Singapore, Indonesia as well as Malaysia. Inspector-General of Malaysian Police Musa Hassan said that the arrest was made possible as the involved parties had been sharing intelligence reports since his escape.
According to the media, Mas Selamat was captured in the early morning of April 1 in a secluded house in Kampung Tawakal, an obscure village with the population of less than 100 in Skudai, 25 kilometres (16 mi) northwest of Johor Bahru. While according to a witness, Mohd Saat Marjo, 57, a villager who lived opposite the fugitive’s home, about 40 comprising personnels from Royal Malaysian Police, such as Special Actions Unit (Pasukan Gerakan Khas A-Detachment; UTK) and Special Branch members broke through two doors and rushed into the house when he refused to come out and surrender when ordered by the police. Mas Selamat resided in the house's refurbished basement, while his landlord, known only as "Johar", and Johar's wife and two children, resided in the upper portions of the house. Prior to his arrest, Mas Selamat had limited contact with outsiders, even avoiding prayers at the local surau, but had been witnessed tending to the compound's garden. Villagers in Kampung Tawakal expressed shock of Mas Selamat's presence after his identity was made known to the public.
Several people who had helped Mas Selamat to hide in the country, including Johar, were arrested along with him, and the news of the arrest was undisclosed for weeks to enable investigations into his network in Malaysia. Immediately after his arrest, the house Mas Selamat resided in and its surroundings were combed for explosives.
Read more about this topic: Mas Selamat Bin Kastari
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