**Singapore has bolstered security on land and sea, after receiving reports of a possible plot to attack oil tankers in the Malacca Strait.**Home Minister Wong Han Seng said the threat to the country was “real”.
Malaysia and Indonesia, which share the busy shipping lane, have also increased air and sea patrols.
Officials in Indonesia have said there could be a link between the threat to the Strait and a recent round up of terror suspects in the Aceh region.
“All alert levels have been raised, not just for ships, but also for the security measures that we have undertaken for Singapore,” Mr Wong told parliament on Friday.
“We received intelligence from our liaison partners about this possible plot to go and attack vessels coming through Singapore waters through the Strait of Malacca.”
Mr Wong said Singapore was continually reviewing security measures at land and sea entry points as well as at newly opened casinos.
“We should not be in denial. The threat is real and we are not immune from it. We must recognise that no security system can be completely foolproof,” he said.
‘Safe haven’
Isa Munir, a top Malaysia marine police official, said the Malaysian, Indonesian and Singaporean authorities were coordinating their patrols.
The AFP news agency quoted him as saying that the situation was “under control”.
On Thursday, Singapore’s navy warned that an unnamed group could be planning to attack oil tankers in the Malacca Strait.
The navy said other large vessels were also at risk and that the group probably wanted “to achieve widespread publicity”.
The navy recommended ships strengthen their onboard security measures, remain vigilant and report unusual incidents.
The security alert came on the same day Indonesia charged 14 suspected Islamist militants with planning to launch terror attacks.
Police and army officials in Indonesia have said there could be a link between the charges and the threat to the Malacca Strait.
An Indonesian government official told Associated Press news agency that if a terror group had been operating in Aceh it would be a “safe haven” for militants.
“It is a conflict area, and in conflict areas they have easy access to training camps, hiding places, weapons and recruitment, plus the location is close to the Malacca Strait,” the unnamed official said.
Past cases of successful attacks on tankers in the Malacca Strait were carried out using small vessels such as dinghies, speedboats and fishing boats.
About 33% of global seaborne crude oil shipments pass through the 965km (600-mile) channel. The seaway is almost six times busier than the Suez Canal.