TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian uncovered terrorist movements and activities within a WhatsApp chat group named Belajar Agama dengan Membaca or `Learning Religion by Reading`. The group was created by MNZ a.k.a. Zamzam, a suspected terrorist who was arrested at the University of Riau.
The police are enhancing monitoring and supervision to prevent anything bad from escalating further.
"We know [about their existence] thanks to today's sophisticated technique. We took action as a prevention," police spokesman Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasisto said in Jakarta, Tuesday, June 12.
Preliminary investigations showed that MNZ, who had been named as a terror suspect, learned how to make bombs through social media. Setyo said the police are also probing possibilities that he learned about it through other ways.
MNZ a.k.a. Zamzam was arrested by the Densus 88 anti-terror police with two other suspects at Riau University. During the search and arrest, the police confiscated two pipe bombs and other weaponry including a shotgun, as well as a video of ISIS and books about bomb-making and self-defense techniques.
Zamzam and the other suspects Rio Bima Wijaya and Orandi Saputra were preparing explosives and making bombs. They have also determined the targets—where they would have exploded the bombs," Setyo said.
The investigations also revealed that MNZ is connected to Pak Ngah, a member of the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) terrorist group that behind the attack on Riau's Police Headquarters some time ago.
Andita Rahma
