TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Police’s counterterrorism unit Densus 88 arrested four terrorism suspects from Uzbekistan who are allegedly involved in the international terrorist network 'Katiba Tawhid Wal Jihad'. They are also suspected of having connections with terror networks in Indonesia to carry out terror in the country.

A spokesperson for Densus 88 Sr. Comr. Aswin Siregar confirmed that the four had contacted the Indonesian network before arriving.

“There is a connection, but I think this will be public consumption later if there are further cases. We cannot reveal it now because it is still part of the information that we are barred from conveying to the public,” said Aswin at the National Police HQ, on Tuesday, April 11.

Aswin explained that their visit to Indonesia was part of a propaganda program as they had already contacted and spread messages to collect Indonesian people’s reactions.

“First, they set out a bait to see if anyone takes it so they can recruit and look for people to carry out terror attacks in Indonesia,” he said.

The four suspected terrorists arrested on Friday, March 24, are identified as BAB, 32 years old; OMM, 28 years old; BKA, 40 years old; and MIR, 26 years old. Aswin said they were engaged specifically in propaganda and social media.

The four were detained at the Immigration office while waiting for deportation. However, on April 10, three of them stabbed immigration officials with a kitchen knife to escape while having suhoor.

“This incident caused the death of an Immigration officer on behalf of Adi Widodo,” Aswin confirmed, adding that two other Immigration staff suffered serious and minor injuries, while two members of Densus 88 suffered serious injuries.

BA was later found drowning in Kali Sunter, North Jakarta because he jumped into the river after stabbing a citizen. “A foreign national stabbed a citizen, fled to Sunter River [and then was found dead],” said North Jakarta Fire and Rescue (Gulkarmat) Sub-department Head Abdul Wahid in his statement, Tuesday, April 11.

Aswin further said that Densus 88 arrested OMM in a complex in Kelapa Gading at 10:50 local time and MIR who was hiding in a sewer near Sunter River at 20:30 local time.

From the results of the investigation, the perpetrators admitted to attacking the Immigration staff and running away after meeting staff of the Uzbekistan Embassy in Jakarta. “They don't want to be deported to their country because they will face severe punishment there,” Aswin concluded.

EKA YUDHA SAPUTRA

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