TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Chief of the National Police Commissioner General Sutarman stated that the police has arrested eight suspects involved in the recent cases of police shootings in Ciputat, Cireundeu, and Pondok Aren in South Tangerang.
"Two of them were arrested on Wednesday, October 30," Sutarman said on Thursday, October 31.
The Commissioner said that the suspects were captured separately in Jakarta, South Sulawesi and Bima, West Nusa Tenggara. He added the eight suspects were allegedly involved in premeditating the shootings on last August,
"[The suspects] are all related," he said.
One of the suspects, as Sutarman explained, provides and assembles weapons while another one acts as a fundraiser.
"We haven't captured the shooter himself. Please be patient," Sutarman said.
Sutarman refused to reveal the identity of the eight suspects. He merely confirmed that the shooters are indeed terrorists. He also refused to provide detailed information on which terrorist group is the suspects affiliated with.
"For now, they are divided into the East and West group," he said.
However, according to National Police spokesman Brigadier General Ronnie Sompie, the suspects are related to the Abu Roban terrorist network located in Poso.
Abu Roban group is a remnant of the Abu Umar group, a group of terrorists that supplies illegal firearms to other terrorist network in the Philippines and Indonesia. Abu Roban was shot dead in Batang, Central Java last May. At almost the same time, 76 suspected terrorists were shot dead by Densus 88 and dozen others were detained.
ANANDA BADUDU | REZA ADITYA | NURHASIM
