The defence ministry and police force said in a joint statement they were hunting down the alleged suspects following an alert from the Malaysian police that a boat used by the fugitive trio had landed on the island of Pulau Tekong.

A 400-strong contingent -- 200 police special force officers and 200 soldiers -- are currently hunting for the trio, a defence ministry spokeswoman said.

Two helicopters are also being deployed to carry out an aerial search of the island's forested areas.

Malaysian police said the three were suspected of carrying out an armed robbery in the southern state of Johor.

"The Singapore Armed Forces and the Singapore Police Force are jointly conducting a search for the three persons on the island," the joint statement said.

"Security measures have also been stepped up on the island. All training on the island has been temporarily suspended to facilitate the search operations," it said.

Pulau Tekong, located off Singapore's northeastern coast and the largest of offshore islands, is used mainly to train the army.
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