These include profiling of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) fugitive leader, pooling of intelligence resources of various Home Team agencies and tapping information resources of foreign security agencies.

Responding to media queries following Sunday's announcement of the arrest of JI member Rijal Yadri Jumari, the police's Chief of Staff, Senior Assistant Commissioner (SAC) Soh Wai Wah, yesterday elaborated on some of the unseen measures taken to find Mas Selamat.

It has been nearly a month since the 47-year-old escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre.

Since then, the Internal Security Department (ISD) has been 'leading intelligence operations on the ground', said SAC Soh.

He added that its resources have been deployed together with those of various Home Team agencies to 'seek out all leads and information'. The agencies involved include the Police Intelligence Department and the Central Narcotics Bureau's intelligence division.

These intelligence operations may be 'out of public view' but are of 'no less intensity than the more visible police and SAF searches', he said.

ISD's analysts are also studying Mas Selamat's background for clues to his mental habits, previous training and knowledge of forested areas in Singapore, he added.

On top of all these, he said the ISD has been in close contact with its foreign security and intelligence partners to exchange and verify information.

Ultimately, SAC Soh said, intelligence operations must probe all possibilities and scenarios, 'including whether he is alone or whether he has obtained help by now'.

Asked about the significance of the detention of Rijal Yadri, he said the 'most troubling' aspect was that at the point of his arrest, he was 'working with like-minded elements to regroup and revive the JI's clandestine network'.

While it was unclear how the group would be reconstituted, it would pose a 'very serious' threat if it managed to link up with other groups in the region, like that of Noordin Mohd Top, he said.

Noordin is reportedly the JI's top recruiter and among those wanted for the 2002 Bali bombings.

Singapore-based terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna said last month that Mas Selamat is 'ideologically close' to Noordin and will try his best to connect with the latter should he get out of Singapore.

Said SAC Soh: 'Cases of self-radicalisation and JI elements like Rijal Yadri show that the threat is far from over.'

jeremyau@sph.com.sg

STILL UNDER THREAT

'Cases of self-radicalisation and JI elements like Rijal Yadri show that the threat is far from over.'

SENIOR ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER SOH WAI WAH