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Singapore increases checkpoint security ahead of Pope Francis visit
The beefing-up of security will coincide with a visit by Pope Francis to the city-state from Wednesday to Friday, during which a papal mass will be held for 50,000 attendees.
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Pope Francis (second left, on wheelchair) greets indigenous people on the day of a meeting with authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps at APEC Haus in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on Sept. 7, 2024. (Reuters/Guglielmo Mangiapane)
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ingapore will enhance security at its land, air and sea checkpoints this week due to an unspecified "heightened security situation in the region", its immigration authority said, warning of delays and additional clearance time.
The beefing-up of security will coincide with a visit by Pope Francis to the city-state from Wednesday to Friday, during which a papal mass will be held for 50,000 attendees.
The immigrations authority in its message, posted on social media late on Sunday, did not mention the pope's visit or elaborate on the security situation. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last week, the National Police arrested seven people for making "terror threats" online against Pope Francis during his visit to Indonesia.
The 87-year-old pontiff made Indonesia the first stop of an arduous Asia-Pacific tour, delivering a message of religious unity to counter extremism and intolerance.
The suspects were arrested in cities around the capital Jakarta, and the provinces of West Sumatra and Bangka Belitung, the police elite counter-terrorism unit Densus 88 spokesman Sr. Comr. Aswin Siregar told reporters.
They are accused of posting statements and images online that threatened bomb attacks on the pope's public meetings in Jakarta.
Pope's schedule included visits to Southeast Asia's biggest mosque, Jakarta's cathedral, the presidential palace and the national football stadium.
The beliefs of the suspects were not disclosed by authorities but Indonesia has long struggled with Islamist militancy.
Security has been stepped up for the pope's visit, with roads around key sites where he is scheduled to visit being re-routed or closed.
A security detail of around 4,000 personnel, including snipers, soldiers, police and his security team, protected him before he departed for the rest of his trip in Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and Singapore.
