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A SECURITY service firm is offering a $1,000 reward to its 250 officers to help track down terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari, who has been on the run for more than five days now.
Metropolis Security Systems, who employs 250 guards in over 55 industrial, residential and commercial sites, put up the bounty in an internal circular to all its staff on Monday.
The notice, issued by the firm's General Manager James Soh, said the $1,000 reward is 'for any information leading to the successful capture and arrest' of JI detainee Mas Selamat, the militant leader of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) network in Singapore.
'With over 250 officers deployed island-wide, we hope to cover some grounds and hopefully mobilise our resources to help the authority,' Mr Mutaza Sarbini, Metropolis operations manager, told The Straits Times.
'We also believe that collective effort by security associations and other private security agencies in Singapore to consolidate effort and resources could bring about synergy and joint-effort with the Police in addressing the security issue at hand.'
Many Singaporeans and Netizens have suggested offering a reward to the public for information leading to the whereabouts of the fugitive, who escaped from a toilet in the Whitley Road Detention Centre last Wednesday at 4.05pm, where he had been held under the Internal Security Act.
Authorities believe he acted alone and is still in Singapore.
More than 1,000 police and security personnel are deployed in a nationwide search for Mas Selamat, who was linked to a plot to hijack a plane and crash it into the Singapore's Changi Airport.
Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng said on Sunday that there there was no evidence that Mas Selamat, a Singaporean, has fled the country.
Asked if the Government would offer a reward for the arrest of the JI fugitive, Mr Wong said 'this is not the practice of the police'.
Police have warned that Mas Selamat should be regarded as a dangerous man and advised against confronting him.
Given that it has more than 100 hours since his flight, he could already have changed his physical appearance, using disguises such as sunglasses, headdresses or caps, said police, adding that he may resort to stealing clothes and food to survive.
Over 54,000 posters and leaflets of the wanted man have been put up at public places and distributed to residents across Singapore.
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