3 Indonesian maids who were working in Singapore for years charged with funding terrorism
SINGAPORE — They had been working as maids in Singapore for as long as 13 years when they became radicalised after viewing propaganda by the militant group ISIS online last year.
Over time, the trio connected with others who were like-minded and even had “online boyfriends” who shared their pro-ISIS views.
The three maids from Indonesia, who are in their 30s, galvanised support for the terrorist group via posts on several social media accounts, and allegedly contributed cash to fund terrorism-related activities.
One of the maids was even prepared to be a suicide bomber for ISIS, while another wanted to join the terrorist group in Syria.
At the State Courts on Wednesday (23 October), the trio, who have been detained under the Internal Security Act since last month, were each charged with funding terrorism.
They are accused of remitting, collecting, or handing over about $1,600 in total, knowing that the money would be used to facilitate terrorist acts.
Turmini, who goes by one name and is 31, is accused of remitting a total of 13,000,000 Indonesian rupiah, or about $1,200, to a person over five occasions between September last year and May.
Anindia Afiyantari, 33, is suspected of physically passing $20 on four occasions between February and May to Retno Hernayani, 36, and another person. Anindia allegedly also remitted $50 to another person in July.
Meanwhile, Retno is accused of collecting $100 in total from Anindia and two others on two occasions in March and April. She allegedly remitted $140 to another person over the same period.
Turmini and Retno are scheduled to return to court on 19 November for them to enter a guilty plea.
Meanwhile, Anindia’s case has been set for a pre-trial conference next week.
Radicalised online last year
The maids were detained under the Internal Security Act last month. At the point of their arrests, they had been working in Singapore for between six and 13 years, the Ministry of Home Affairs said then.
“The trio were radicalised in 2018 after they viewed online materials related to the terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and became convinced that ISIS was fighting for Islam and that its use of violence against ‘infidels’ was justified,” said MHA.
“Their radicalisation deepened after they joined multiple pro-ISIS social media chat groups and channels. They were drawn to the violent visuals disseminated on these platforms, such as ISIS’s bomb attacks and beheading videos, as well as recycled propaganda on ISIS’s past victories in the battlefield,” the ministry added.
The trio were also influenced by the online sermons of radical preachers from Indonesia.
Anindia and Retno met at a social gathering in Singapore on their off-day, while Turmini got to know them on social media.
“Over time, they developed a network of pro-militant foreign online contacts, including ‘online boyfriends’, who shared their pro-ISIS ideology. All three also became strong supporters of the Indonesia-based ISIS-affiliated terrorist group, Jemaah Anshorut Daulah (JAD),” said MHA.
JAD, which was behind a number of terrorist attacks in Indonesia, has been banned in the country.
Wanted to become suicide bomber
According to MHA, Anindia and Retno wanted to join ISIS in Syria. They were also encouraged by their online contacts to join pro-ISIS groups in the southern Philippines, Afghanistan or Africa.
“Anindia was prepared to take up arms for ISIS in Syria and become a suicide bomber, while Retno aspired to live amongst ISIS fighters in Syria and participate in the conflict there,” said MHA last month.
“Retno believed that Muslims were duty-bound to travel to other conflict zones (apart from Syria), such as Palestine and Kashmir, to fight against ‘the enemies of Islam’,” the ministry added.
MHA also repatriated another maid who was aware of the trio’s radicalisation but didn’t report them to the authorities.
19 radicalised maids since 2015
The authorities have picked up 19 radicalised maids since 2015, including the trio. The first 16 radicalised maids have been repatriated after investigations were completed.
None of the 19 maids had planned to carry out terrorist acts in Singapore. Nonetheless, their radicalisation and association with terrorists overseas rendered them a security threat to Singapore, said MHA.
The ministry advises those who suspect a person of being radicalised or engaging in terrorism-related activities to promptly call the Internal Security Department’s Counter-Terrorism Centre hotline at 1800-2626-473 (1800-2626-ISD).
For each of their terrorism-funding charges under the Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act, Turmini, Anindia and Retno can be fined up to $500,000 and also jailed for up to 10 years, if found guilty.
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