TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Police's special counterterrorism squad, Densus 88, official Sr. Comr. Aswin said there are two other suspects involved in the case of an armed woman who tried to break into the first ring of the Merdeka Palace on Tuesday morning, October 25, 2022. The woman who pointed a gun at the Presidential Security Forces (Paspampres) was identified as Siti Elina alias SE.

“We found two other people who are also connected to the Jakarta Islamic State (NII), BU and JM,” said Aswin at a press conference at the Metro Jaya Police HQ, Wednesday, October 26, 2022.

Aswin explained that the two other suspects were known to have pledged allegiance to the outlawed group. “We concluded that this case handling must also involve or apply the Law on the eradication of terrorism acts,” he said.

The two suspects also have a relationship with SE. “BU is her husband, who we suspect is the assistant or deputy treasurer of NII North Jakarta,” Aswin added. “While JM is a murobi or the teacher who teaches or indoctrinates them.”

The police are still exploring the connection between the suspects. “This needs further investigation because we cannot conclude that a person is exposed to radicalism from one side only, but indeed from the social media conversations that he participates in, which leads to a group,” Aswin said.

The Densus 88 official also said SE tried to enter the Merdeka Palace to meet with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to say that Indonesia is wrong for having Pancasila as its ideology, instead of Islam.

ALIYYU MEDYATI

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