Indonesian Special Detachment 88 Antiterror Unit arrests suspected terrorist in West Java

INDONESIA: The Indonesian National Police’s Special Detachment 88 (Densus 88) Antiterror Unit achieved a successful apprehension of a suspected terrorist within a residential area in West Java.

The arrest took place on Monday (14 Aug) around 1:17 PM local time, at Perumahan Pesona Anggrek Harapan, located on Jalan Raya Bulak Sentul, Harapan Jaya, North Bekasi.

Brigadier General Ahmad Ramadhan, the Head of the Public Relations Bureau (Karo Penmas) in the Police Public Relations Division (Divisi Humas Polri), confirmed the arrest carried out by the Densus 88 Antiterror Unit.

“Yes, it’s true, there was an arrest of a terrorism suspect,” stated Ramadhan to the reporters.

Dozens of factory-made firearms owned by a state-owned enterprise employee, DE, were seized by the Indonesian National Police’s Densus 88 Antiterror Unit at his residence in the Harapan Jaya area, Bekasi city, West Java. (Photo: The documentary of Densus 88)

Unveiling the activities of suspect leading to apprehension

Prior to the arrest at 1:17 PM, the movements of the suspect, referred to as “DE,” had been under surveillance by Densus 88 intelligence for about a week. Ichwanul Muslimin, the local neighborhood chairman, revealed that the neighborhood authorities had informed him about the surveillance.

On the morning of Monday, two plainclothes police officers visited Ichwanul Muslimin.

Subsequently, at around 1:00 PM, Densus 88 personnel conducted a search of DE’s residence. During the search, they discovered various types of firearms and an ISIS flag. DE confessed to his affiliation with ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria).

According to the information provided during questioning by Densus 88 investigators, DE pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakar Al Baghdadi in 2014. He was reportedly in the process of preparing for a terrorist attack in Indonesia.

Brigadier General Ahmad Ramadhan mentioned that DE was suspected to be involved in fundraising activities for terrorist purposes.

Densus 88 Antiterror Unit Spokesperson, Police Commissioner (Kombes) Aswin Siregar, disclosed that the apprehended individual was an employee of a state-owned enterprise, with indications pointing to the Indonesian Railway Company, Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI).

Aswin mentioned that DE was an active supporter of the ISIS group, propagating jihadist content on social media platforms. DE’s Facebook posts contained motivational content for jihad and urged others to unite in pursuit of jihad goals.

Additionally, DE was reported to have sent a Facebook post pledging allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State, Abu Al Husain Al Husaini Al Quraysi.

DE was also a member of a Telegram group named “BEL4J4R PEDUL1,” where he reportedly acted as an admin and creator of several channels, including “Arsip Film Dokumenter” (Documentary Film Archive) and “Breaking News.”

These channels provided updates on global terrorism translated into Indonesian. DE’s last known status update was on 16 August 2011.

The location of the raid on the suspected terrorist, who is also an employee of a state-owned enterprise, by the Indonesian National Police’s Densus 88 on Jalan Raya Bulak Sentul Harapan Jaya, North Bekasi, Bekasi city. (Photo: The documentary of Liputan6.com)

The suspect allegedly discussing ISIS-related topics since 16 years old

A review by TribunJakarta revealed that DE had been discussing ISIS-related topics since 2011 when he was only 16 years old.

In his statement to authorities, DE revealed that the events of the 2018 Brimob Headquarters riot inspired him to plan and carry out terrorist activities.

DE subsequently began researching arms trading and engaged in shooting training. He mentioned undergoing training, referred to as “i’dad”, lasting six hours every two months in Gunung Geulis, Bogor, West Java, using a Baikal firearm with 9mm ammunition.

In response to the arrest, Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) expressed respect for the ongoing legal process and pledged to support efforts to combat terrorism.

EVP of Corporate Secretary KAI, Raden Agus Dwinanto Budiadji, emphasized the company’s commitment to eradicating terrorism within the organization and highlighted the company’s cooperation with relevant authorities.

Agus stressed that KAI does not tolerate any actions contrary to the law, especially involving terrorism. The management of KAI has a zero-tolerance policy towards any employee involved in terrorist activities, and they remain committed to upholding integrity and nationalism, while strengthening supervision across the company.

The successful arrest of the suspected terrorist has underscored the ongoing efforts of Indonesian law enforcement to combat terrorism and ensure the safety and security of the nation.