Indonesian Police and the immigration office have tightened checks on people coming to Batam island amid speculation fugitive terrorist Mas Selamat bin Kastari, who escaped from a detention center in Singapore, may enter Indonesia via the island.

National Police Chief Gen. Sutanto said in Jakarta Friday the police had increased security at some of the country's entry spots, especially Batam, with Indonesia and Singapore working together to capture the fugitive.

"It's best for him to surrender," he said.

Sutanto also asked the public to help the police by giving any information about Kastari's whereabouts.

In Batam, the island closest to Singapore, the immigration office said it had deployed more personnel across several harbors with ferry routes to Singapore, including Batam Center, Harbor Bay, Sekupang Port, Marina City and Nongsa Pura Port.

"We have strengthened our checks on Singaporeans coming to Batam by ferry after Kastari escaped, Tegas Hartawan, Batam Center Port immigration office chief, told The Jakarta Post.

"We question them in detail to make sure we can catch Kastari."

Analysts said they believed Kastari would try to flee to Indonesia.

Batam city police chief Sr. Comr. Slamet Riyanto said his officers had been placed not only around the ports but also along the beach and at several traditional ports across the island.

Printed photos of Kastari were seen in several areas.

Slamet said the short distance between Singapore and Indonesia as well as Kastari's knowledge on how to enter Indonesia would make it easier for him to illegally enter the country.

Chief of Riau Islands Police Sutarman said the neighboring city-state "sent us an urgent notice requesting intensified patrols to prevent the terrorist from entering Indonesia".

Interpol issued an urgent worldwide alert Friday for the alleged leader of the Jamaah Islamiyah militant network, two days after his escape from the Whitley Road Detention Center in Singapore.

In a notice on its website, the global police body said it issued an alert following a request by Singapore.

Kastari's photographs and fingerprints will be sent to Interpol's 186 member countries, the agency said.

"Singapore is clearly doing all that it can on a national level to locate this fugitive and through issuing (an alert), Interpol and all of its member countries can support these efforts on an international scale," Jean-Michel Louboutin, Interpol executive director of police services told AFP.

Kastari was arrested on the Indonesian island of Bintan near Singapore in 2003, reportedly for carrying false identification, and was jailed for 18 months.

He was later released but rearrested in Indonesia in January 2006 before being handed over to Singapore, where he was held under the Internal Security Act, which allows for detention without trial. (dre)

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