T

he National Police said on Wednesday that the nine men arrested for alleged involvement in the foiled plot to bomb the Myanmar Embassy in Jakarta could also have been involved in the recent wave of shootings that have left three police officers dead.

The police's Densus 88 anti-terror squad arrested the nine terror suspects and confiscated dozens of firearms and ammunition during a series of raids in Greater Jakarta over the last four days.

'There are firearms, air guns, airsoft guns, bladed weapons and ammunition. We're paying attention to that considering the recent incidents. Three shooting incidents have occurred in Jakarta as well as incidents in Yogyakarta,' National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Ronny F. Sompie said on Wednesday.

Densus 88 conducted the first raid on Sunday, with the detention of bread and noodle seller Muhammad Zakaria in Tangerang.

He is alleged to have handed over a bomb to Rohadi, who planned an attack on the Myanmar Embassy in Jakarta to avenge the persecution of the Rohingya Muslims in that country. The police arrested Rohadi and his three accomplices and confiscated five homemade bombs from them in May.

Another police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Agus Rianto said that the Densus 88 squad and the Jakarta Police arrested four suspects, identified only as EK, IK, M and R, at IK's home in Cipayung, East Jakarta, on Tuesday evening.

The police found two guns, an airsoft gun and bullets at the location.

'IK is a recidivist terrorist. He previously served eight years in prison and was released in 2008,' Agus said, adding that the other three men were taken into custody because they were with IK during the raid.

IK is believed to be Iqbal Khusaeni, who was once jailed for planning the murder of Liberal Islam Network activist Ulil Abshar Abdalla and a Christian pastor.

Iqbal is a loyalist of Abdullah Sonata, who played multiple roles in the Aceh terrorist training facility and harbored prominent terrorist the late Noordin M. Top.

On the same day, Khoirul Ikhwan and Iswahyudin were arrested in two separate locations in Bekasi. From them, the police seized two firearms, three magazines and 70 bullets.

The police also detained two of Khoirul's friends, identified only as AW and AI, during the raid.

Ronny was open to the possibility that the suspects might have been involved in the four recent shooting incidents that left three police officers dead.

'In some cases, [the perpetrators] have used airsoft guns,' he said.

Ronny was referring to 11 shootings that occurred in Kulon Progo, Bantul and Yogyakarta between Aug. 1 and 10. No serious injuries were reported.

On Aug. 14, unidentified gunmen also fired airsoft pellets at the house of a Jakarta Police detective in Cipondoh, South Tangerang.

A source at the National Police said that the raids in Bekasi and East Jakarta were a follow-up to the arrest of Nurmalasari, alias Inong, the second wife of terrorist convict Abu Sofyan, last week.

The Jakarta Police accused Nurmalasari of selling illegal airsoft guns in Depok.