Three teens in Singapore have been arrested (Getty Images, stock)

Singapore authorities have arrested three teenagers in separate cases involving alleged extremist plots, including two young men accused of planning knife attacks targeting LGBTQ+ students after becoming radicalised online.

According to Singapore’s Internal Security Department (ISD), one suspect, 19-year-old Tan Jun Jie, allegedly converted to Islam in 2022 after encountering radical religious content online. The ISD claimed Tan’s consumption of ISIS propaganda led to the adoption of extremist beliefs that “armed violence was permissible against [disbelievers],” such as Shi’ite Muslims, those who participate in secular government and LGBTQ+ people.

The ISD alleged Tan targeted “deviant” Muslim groups with failed cyber-attacks in 2025 before planning to attack LGBTQ+ students at a former college, as well as Singapore Air Force cadets, believing the killings would earn him martyrdom.

Authorities allege he researched knife techniques online and viewed the planned attack as a backup if he was unable to join militant groups abroad. The plot was ultimately uncovered after acquaintances reported his increasingly violent behaviour to authorities, and he was arrested in April.

A separate case involved a now 14-year-old who authorities say became radicalised through consuming a mix of extremist ideologies at the age of 12 in 2024.

Authorities say the teen played violent online games and began to identify with people who had committed mass acts of violence because they claimed to be bullied at school, as he said he was experiencing the same treatment. He also reportedly became interested in the June 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, and, through consuming extremist propaganda, came to believe that Islam justified killing LGBTQ+ people.

Islam is the second-largest religion in the world, according to 2020 data from the World Religion Database at Boston University. Because Islam does not have a single, centralised authority, views on whether Islamic law condones the killing of LGBTQ+ people vary heavily across the world.

The ISD reported the teen had hard drives full of thousands of hours of extremist and violent content, including material glorifying ISIS, Neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic propaganda, and mass shootings. He eventually came to support white supremacy as he perceived himself to have lighter skin than his peers.

Investigators allege the teenager planned to carry out a knife attack on classmates during a school holiday, which would have occurred during a holiday break in June. The ISD alleges that the boy intended to livestream the assault, and planned to pledge allegiance to ISIS during the attack before taking his own life. The alleged plot was disrupted after classmates and teachers noticed warning signs of radicalisation and alerted authorities, leading to his arrest in May.

A third 15-year-old was also arrested in March after allegedly publicly pledging allegiance to ISIS on social media and planning an attack inspired by the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

While the three cases are unrelated, Singapore authorities said they underscore growing concerns about young people becoming self-radicalised through social media, gaming platforms, and extremist online content. Officials credited the willingness of friends, classmates, and educators to report concerning behaviour with helping prevent the alleged attacks before anyone was harmed.

If you fear someone is becoming radicalised online, the most critical step you can take is to seek advice early from dedicated safeguarding services such as ACT Early, which is available to call 24/7 at 0800 011 3764, or the UK Government Prevent Guidance available on Gov UK’s website.

Readers in the US can utilise resources like Life After Hate by calling 612-888-3948 or submitting information via their online portal to speak with a case manager.