World News | Iranian Operator of Travel Agency Ordered to Leave Singapore by Feb 17

Singapore, Feb 14 (PTI) The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) here on Thursday ordered an Iranian national, Parvane Heidaridehkordi, involved in the operation of a Singapore travel agency that tried facilitating visas for terrorism-linked individuals, to leave the island state by Feb 17.

The 38-year-old Iranian's departure comes seven days after her long-term visit pass was cancelled, the Channel News Agency reported, citing MHA.

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Visa applications sponsored by the travel agency for terrorism-linked individuals to visit the city state were not approved, according to the Channel, which cited MHA response to its queries.

Parvane and her husband, a Malaysian national of Chinese origin, Soo Thean Ling, were involved in operating the agency.

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Soo, 65, has been declared a prohibited immigrant as he is a family member of Parvane, said the Ministry. A Singapore permanent resident, Soo is currently not in the city state. Neither Parvane nor Soo was arrested, and investigations so far have not found them to be involved in other terrorism-related activities, the MHA said.

The couple will be deported and barred from re-entering Singapore, said earlier media reports.

According to these reports, the MHA had previously said that the travel agency had served as a front for an operation directed by a foreigner based overseas. The agency has been deregistered.

The ministry did not disclose the name of the travel agency or other details of the probe, citing "operational reasons."

Authorities in multi-racial Singapore have detained radicalised individuals influenced by the Gaza war and other terrorist outfits.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)