TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The convicted terrorist inmates who started the deadly riot at the Police Mobile Brigade detention facility (Mako Brimob) is believed to have memorized the prison`s security routine prior to the attack.
During the riot that killed five police members, dozens of terrorist inmates rushed into the facility’s evidence room to overcome the firearms and IED (Improvised Explosive Device) kept inside. The room is separated from the main building where the terrorists were being kept.
Brimob Corps Commander Insp. Gen. Rudy Sufahriadi said that the firearms and IEDs were the pieces of evidence from previous terrorism cases which are still under investigation. “It’s highly believed that the prisoners knew about it beforehand,” said Rudy at the crime scene on Thursday, May 10.
The riot commenced after one of the terrorist inmates, Wawan Kurniawan, lashed out in anger at one of the Mako Brimob guards after his meal, that was supposedly sent to him from his wife, had not been delivered to him.
Read: One Intel Police Killed after Mako Brimob Tragedy
Together with the 14 other Block C cellmates, Wawan commenced the surprise attack by forcing his way through the cell gate, which surprised the guards. The riot then spread to cell-block A and cell-block B then continued to the exclusive facility for the police guards.
Throughout the riot, the inmates that were led by Wawan held six police members as hostages. Five of them were sadistically murdered by slashing their throats, shooting them in the heads, and stabbing their chest with knives. Meanwhile, one inmate, Beni Samsu Trisno, was shot by police.
National Police Spokesman Setyo Wasisto said that during the sadistic evening that lasted 36 hours, there were 156 inmates in the terrorist cell block which were only guarded by 10 police members. Meanwhile, the stolen firearms were able to be retrieved by police during the negotiation with the inmates.
According to a police officer, the terrorist inmates had studied the guards’ activities, the facility, and facility’s security system considering that some of the convicted terrorists had been detained for months prior to the riot.
However, the police officer insisted that the riot was a spontaneous incident that did not spread outside of the facility. “If it was carefully planned, they would have thought about how to break out of the Brimob facility,” he said.
Furthermore, according to Achmad Michdan who represents several inmates involved in the attack, the inmates often complain about the awful treatment they receive from prison guards and how corrupt the guards were. He also maintained that his clients had never planned or conspired with each other to start the rebellion. “This was an accumulation from several problems that existed [prior to the attack],” said Achmad.
Read: Dispute over Food Triggered Mako Brimob Riot
Both Wawan and Beni, the two terrorist inmates that were said to be behind the attack are currently undergoing trial at the West Jakarta District Court. Both men were arrested by the authorities together in Pekanbaru in October 2017 after the men participated in an illegal military-style training which involved constructing bombs and IEDs.
Furthermore, the Brimob detention facility had undergone several problems that caused two of the facility’s Warden to be fired. The latest case that happened at the facility before the deadly terrorist riot happened just five months ago when a riot broke loose in November 2017 between inmates and prison guards after a guard allegedly threw a Holy Quran because an inmate refused to be screened by members of the police's counterterrorism unit Densus 88. However, cellphones were eventually found to be hidden in the inmates' cells.
Defendant Gayus Tambunan, who was involved in a tax and bribery mafia scheme left the Mako Brimob and traveled to Bali to watch an international tennis tournament. Iwan Siswanto, who was the warden at the time, together with eight police members were found guilty of receiving bribes from Gayus.
The third case taking place in the Mako Brimob facility happened in August 2011 where the corruption suspect M. Nazaruddin had kept a cellphone inside his cell. This incident resulted in Warden Comm. Basuki to be fired from his position.
AVIT HIDAYAT | ALFAN HILMI | ADE RIDWAN YANDWIPUTRA | HENDARTYO HANGGI | AJI NUGROHO | BUDIARTI UTAMI PUTRI | EFRI R.
