Back
About RSIS
Introduction
Building the Foundations
Welcome Message
Board of Governors
Staff Profiles
Executive Deputy Chairman’s Office
Dean’s Office
Management
Distinguished Fellows
Faculty and Research
Associate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research Analysts
Visiting Fellows
Adjunct Fellows
Administrative Staff
Honours and Awards for RSIS Staff and Students
RSIS Endowment Fund
Endowed Professorships
Career Opportunities
Getting to RSIS
Research
Research Centres
Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)
Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)
Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS)
Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)
International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
Research Programmes
National Security Studies Programme (NSSP)
Social Cohesion Research Programme (SCRP)
Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
Other Research
Future Issues and Technology Cluster
Research@RSIS
Science and Technology Studies Programme (STSP) (2017-2020)
Graduate Education
Graduate Programmes Office
Exchange Partners and Programmes
How to Apply
Financial Assistance
Meet the Admissions Team: Information Sessions and other events
RSIS Alumni
Outreach
Global Networks
About Global Networks
RSIS Alumni
International Programmes
About International Programmes
Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)
Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)
International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS)
International Strategy Forum-Asia (ISF-Asia)
Executive Education
About Executive Education
SRP Executive Programme
Terrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
Public Education
About Public Education
Publications
RSIS Publications
Annual Reviews
Books
Bulletins and Newsletters
RSIS Commentary Series
Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
Commemorative / Event Reports
Future Issues
IDSS Papers
Interreligious Relations
Monographs
NTS Insight
Policy Reports
Working Papers
External Publications
Authored Books
Journal Articles
Edited Books
Chapters in Edited Books
Policy Reports
Working Papers
Op-Eds
Glossary of Abbreviations
Policy-relevant Articles Given RSIS Award
RSIS Publications for the Year
External Publications for the Year
Media
News Releases
Speeches
Video/Audio Channel
Events
Contact Us
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Think Tank and Graduate School Ponder The Improbable Since 1966
Nanyang Technological University Nanyang Technological University
  • About RSIS
      IntroductionBuilding the FoundationsWelcome MessageBoard of GovernorsHonours and Awards for RSIS Staff and StudentsRSIS Endowment FundEndowed ProfessorshipsCareer OpportunitiesGetting to RSIS
      Staff ProfilesExecutive Deputy Chairman’s OfficeDean’s OfficeManagementDistinguished FellowsFaculty and ResearchAssociate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research AnalystsVisiting FellowsAdjunct FellowsAdministrative Staff
  • Research
      Research CentresCentre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS)Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
      Research ProgrammesNational Security Studies Programme (NSSP)Social Cohesion Research Programme (SCRP)Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
      Other ResearchFuture Issues and Technology ClusterResearch@RSISScience and Technology Studies Programme (STSP) (2017-2020)
  • Graduate Education
      Graduate Programmes OfficeExchange Partners and ProgrammesHow to ApplyFinancial AssistanceMeet the Admissions Team: Information Sessions and other eventsRSIS Alumni
  • Outreach
      Global NetworksAbout Global NetworksRSIS Alumni
      International ProgrammesAbout International ProgrammesAsia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS)International Strategy Forum-Asia (ISF-Asia)
      Executive EducationAbout Executive EducationSRP Executive ProgrammeTerrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
      Public EducationAbout Public Education
  • Publications
      RSIS PublicationsAnnual ReviewsBooksBulletins and NewslettersRSIS Commentary SeriesCounter Terrorist Trends and AnalysesCommemorative / Event ReportsFuture IssuesIDSS PapersInterreligious RelationsMonographsNTS InsightPolicy ReportsWorking Papers
      External PublicationsAuthored BooksJournal ArticlesEdited BooksChapters in Edited BooksPolicy ReportsWorking PapersOp-Eds
      Glossary of AbbreviationsPolicy-relevant Articles Given RSIS AwardRSIS Publications for the YearExternal Publications for the Year
  • Media
      News ReleasesSpeechesVideo/Audio Channel
  • Events
  • Contact Us
    • Connect with Us

      rsis.ntu
      rsis_ntu
      rsisntu
      rsisvideocast
      school/rsis-ntu
      rsis.sg
      rsissg
      RSIS
      RSS
      Subscribe to RSIS Publications
      Subscribe to RSIS Events

      Getting to RSIS

      Nanyang Technological University
      Block S4, Level B3,
      50 Nanyang Avenue,
      Singapore 639798

      Click here for direction to RSIS
Connect
Search
  • RSIS
  • About RSIS
  • Staff Profile
  • Rueben Ananthan Santhana Dass
  • Executive Deputy Chairman’s Office
  • Dean’s Office
  • Management
  • Distinguished Fellows
  • Faculty and Research
  • Associate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research Analysts
  • Visiting Fellows
  • Adjunct Fellows
  • Administrative Staff

Mr Rueben Ananthan Santhana Dass

Associate Research Fellow
Education
BSc ; MSc (Imperial College London); MSc (RSIS, NTU)
: [email protected]
: +65 6514 8385
: ICPVTR
Organised Crime and Gun Violence are a Vicious Cycle in Malaysia
Op-Eds

Mr Rueben Ananthan Santhana Dass

Associate Research Fellow
Education
BSc ; MSc (Imperial College London); MSc (RSIS, NTU)
: [email protected]
: +65 6514 8385
: ICPVTR

Following links control the content below

  • Biography
  • Areas of Expertise
  • RSIS Publications
  • External Publications
Clicking on the heading in mobile view will expand or collapse the tab content

Biography

Rueben Dass is a Senior Analyst with the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and a Master of Science degree in Applied Mathematics from Imperial College London. In 2020, he graduated with a Master of Science degree in Strategic Studies with a Certificate in Terrorism Studies from RSIS, NTU. His current research interests including terrorist use of technologies; 3D-printed firearms; Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) terrorism and terrorism and counterterrorism in Southeast Asia. He has published widely in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, Terrorism and Political Violence and Studies in Conflict and Terrorism. His works have also appeared on other security outlets and mainstream media such as The Diplomat, Jamestown Foundation, The Defense Post, Middle East Institute, International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, The Star and TODAY online.

Clicking on the heading in mobile view will expand or collapse the tab content

Areas of Expertise

  • Terrorist use of technologies (drones, unconventional weapons)
  • 3D-printed firearms
  • CBRN terrorism
  • Terrorism and counterterrorism operations in Southeast Asia

Clicking on the heading in mobile view will expand or collapse the tab content

RSIS Publications

    RSIS Commentary Series

    • The Rise of 3D-Printed Firearms

      19 December, 2024

    • Ayodhya: Rising Hindu Violent Extremism?

      24 August, 2020

    Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses

    • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses (CTTA) - Volume 17 Issue 01

      06 January, 2025

    • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses (CTTA) - Volume 16 Issue 03

      12 June, 2024

    • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses (CTTA) - Volume 16 Issue 01

      03 January, 2024

    • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses (CTTA) - Volume 15 Issue 03

      09 June, 2023

    • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses (CTTA) - Volume 14 Issue 01

      03 January, 2022

    • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses (CTTA) - Volume 13 Issue 02

      23 March, 2021

Clicking on the heading in mobile view will expand or collapse the tab content

External Publications

Journal Articles

  • “3D-Printed Firearms: Global Proliferation Trends and Analyses” in Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 2025
  • “Pathways to the Caliphate: Mapping Malaysian Foreign Fighter Networks in Iraq and Syria from 2012-2019” (with Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh) in Terrorism and Political Violence, 2022
  • “Jihadists’ Use and Pursuit of Weapons of Mass Destruction: A Comparative Study of Al-Qaeda and Islamic State’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Weapons Programs” in Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 2021, pp. 1-35
  • “Maritime Malice in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines: The Asymmetric Maritime Threat at the Tri-Border Area” (with Kenneth Yeo, and Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh) in International Centre for Counter-Terrorism - The Hague, 2021
  • “The Use of Family Networks in Suicide Terrorism: A Case Study of the 2018 Surabaya Attacks” in Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, 2021

Chapters in Edited Books

  • “The New Airborne Threat: How Extremist Groups Harness Drones for Reconnaisance, Targeted Attacks and Propaganda” in Ong Keng Yong and Damien D. Cheong (Eds.), Violent Extremism: What Was Learnt, Where We Are and What's Next. Singapore: World Scientific, 2025, pp. 139-146

Op-Eds

  • “Organised Crime and Gun Violence are a Vicious Cycle in Malaysia”, Channel News Asia, 30 July 2025
  • “In a First, Portuguese Police Find Extremists’ Cache of 3D-Printed Firearms”, Jamestown Foundation, 30 July 2025
  • “Nascent Adoption: Emerging Tech Trends by Terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan” (with Abdul Basit), Global Network on Extremism & Technology, 18 June 2025
  • “Drone Warfare Is Redefining India-Pakistan Rivalry” (with Abdul Basit), The Diplomat, 4 June 2025
  • “Interest in 3D-Printed Firearms Rising Among Islamist Militants”, Jamestown Foundation, 25 March 2025
  • “The Impact of Technological Weapons in the Myanmar Conflict” (with Iftekharul Bashar), The Diplomat, 4 March 2025
  • “The Continued Threat of Online Radicalization in Malaysia”, The Diplomat, 11 February 2025
  • “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s Drone Force”, Lawfare, 13 December 2024
  • “3D-Printing in Conflict Zones: A Game-Changer?”, Global Network on Extremism & Technology, 14 October 2024
  • “The IS Resurgence in Malaysia: Assessing the Threat and Implications”, The Diplomat, 3 July 2024
  • “Islamic State-Khorasan Province’s Virtual Planning”, Lawfare, 19 May 2024
  • “Tech and Terror: Why Have Drones Not Penetrated the Afghanistan-Pakistan Militant Landscape?” (with Abdul Basit), Global Network on Extremism & Technology, 29 April 2024
  • “As Siam Paragon shooting shows, modified guns are a growing danger that demands attention”, Channel NewsAsia, 25 October 2023
  • “3D-Printed Weapons and the Far-Right: The Finnish Accelerationist Cell”, Global Network on Extremism & Technology, 6 October 2023
  • “Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s Drone Attacks Indicate a Strategic Shift”, Lawfare, 20 August 2023
  • “The Rising Danger From Crude, Homemade Weapons and Political Violence in Japan”, Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor, 9 June 2023
  • “The Evolving Threat from Terrorist Drones in Africa”, Lawfare, 30 April 2023
  • “The Link Between Gaming and Violent Extremism”, The Diplomat, 8 March 2023
  • “Assessing the Impact of 3D-Printed Weapons on the Violent Extremist Milieu” (with Benjamin Mok), Global Network on Extremism & Technology, 20 February 2023
  • “The 2023 Castrop-Rauxel Plot and the Continued Threat of Chemical and Biological Terrorism”, Militant Wire, 26 January 2023
  • “The Assassination of Shinzo Abe in Japan and the Threat from Primitive Homemade Weapons”, Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor, 7 October 2022
  • “Militants and Drones: A Trend That is Here to Stay”, RUSI, 6 September 2022
  • “Islamic State’s Expansion in Africa and its Implications for Southeast Asia” (with Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh), The Diplomat, 25 July 2022
  • “Islamic State East Asia: Down but Not Out” (with Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh), Militant Wire, 25 May 2022
  • “ISKP’s Continued Interest in India” (with Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh), Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor, 8 April 2022
  • “Drones: Militant Game Changer in the Middle East?”, The Defense Post, 24 March 2022
  • “Islamic State in West Africa Province Video Signals the Group’s Grand Strategy for the Future” (with Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh), Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor, 11 March 2022
  • “The Challenges of Repatriating Malaysian IS Fighters from Syria” (with Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh), The Diplomat, 24 February 2022
  • “Emerging Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Threats from Europe’s ‘Garage Extremists’”, Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor , 19 November 2021
  • “Hizbut Tahrir in Malaysia: A Threat to National Security?” (with Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh), Middle East Institute, 29 June 2021
  • “How IS Exploits Gamification of Violence in Bid to Appeal to Youths Online during the Pandemic” (with Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh), TODAY, 9 June 2021
  • “Women and Kinship Pivotal to JAD’s Future Attacks in Indonesia” (with Unaesah Rahmah), Stratsea, 31 May 2021
  • “Terrorism Laws in Malaysia: The Continuing Case for SOSMA and POTA” (with Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh), Middle East Institute, 20 April 2021
  • “Foreign Terrorist Fighters: Implications for Malaysia’s Border Security” (with Amalina Abdul Nasir), Middle East Institute, 24 November 2020

Popular Links

About RSISResearch ProgrammesGraduate EducationPublicationsEventsAdmissionsCareersVideo/Audio ChannelRSIS Intranet

Connect with Us

rsis.ntu
rsis_ntu
rsisntu
rsisvideocast
school/rsis-ntu
rsis.sg
rsissg
RSIS
RSS
Subscribe to RSIS Publications
Subscribe to RSIS Events

Getting to RSIS

Nanyang Technological University
Block S4, Level B3,
50 Nanyang Avenue,
Singapore 639798

Click here for direction to RSIS

Get in Touch

    Copyright © S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. All rights reserved.
    Privacy Statement / Terms of Use
    Help us improve

      Rate your experience with this website
      123456
      Not satisfiedVery satisfied
      What did you like?
      0/255 characters
      What can be improved?
      0/255 characters
      Your email
      Please enter a valid email.
      Thank you for your feedback.
      This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. By continuing, you are agreeing to the use of cookies on your device as described in our privacy policy. Learn more
      OK
      Latest Book
      more info