Police officers swarm a house on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, during the arrest of a terrorism suspect in Baiya subdistrict, Tawaeli district, Palu city, Central Sulawesi. Identified as W, the suspect has been on the run for the past 11 months. - Photo: Antara
JAKARTA: Operatives from the National Police's Counterterrorism Special Detachment 88 (Densus 88) and the Central Sulawesi Police’s Mobile Brigade (Brimob) apprehended three terrorist suspects in Palu city and Tojo Una-Una regency, Central Sulawesi, on Thursday (Dec 19).
The three individuals are believed to be linked to the Eastern Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) network, Antara news agency reported.
MIT is a terrorist network operating in the mountainous areas of the Poso, Parigi Moutong and Sigi regencies of Central Sulawesi.
The group is closely linked to Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT), the Poso Conflict and, notably, the former pivotal figure in Indonesia’s terrorist movement: Abu Bakar Ba’asyir.
The police apprehended a suspected terrorist identified as W, also known as Mut.
Meanwhile, in Ampana district of Tojo Una-Una Regency, two individuals with the initials AS and RR were taken into custody.
W was arrested at a relative's house on Jl. Pue Kodi, Baiya subdistrict, Tawaeli district in Palu, where he had been staying for the past month.
He had been a fugitive for 11 years and was on the wanted list. Adi Suwarman, a neighbourhood unit chief in Baiya, said he was unaware of W’s presence in the house.
“W’s relatives never reported his presence to the neighborhood unit,” he said.
He added that the arrest served as a lesson for the residents because they must make a report if they have guests or relatives coming to stay with them to avoid such incidents.
During the arrest, Densus 88 seized evidence including a bag, a mobile phone and identification cards.
The arrests followed an announcement made two weeks earlier by Coordinating Political and Security Affairs Minister Budi Gunawan regarding Indonesia’s improved ranking on the global terrorism index (GTI).
Based on the 2023 GTI, Indonesia's ranking improved to 31st from 24th the year before, placing it in the "Low Impacted by Terrorism" category.
“This achievement is the result of extraordinary collaborative efforts from all parties, both in terms of prevention and law enforcement,” Budi said at an event in Jakarta on Dec. 3, as reported by Antara.
However, Budi said these achievements did not mean the threat of terrorism was over.
The government’s major task ahead is now to maintain the current situation, especially given the ease of cyberspace abuse that can accelerate radicalization.
"Thus, the presence of the state can provide a sense of security for all citizens through protection, both in the physical world and in cyberspace, which has the potential to be misused for terrorism," Budi said. - Jakarta Post/ANN
