T

he National Police have arrested 10 suspected terrorists and confiscated dozens of firearms and explosives on the islands of Java and Sulawesi as the country readies itself for the July 9 presidential election.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said on Wednesday that the force'€™s Densus 88 counterterrorism unit had apprehended the suspects in a series of raids between 12 and 16 May.

Some of the suspects are known to have been involved in several attacks during the height of sectarian conflict in Central Sulawesi in 2004.

'€œThey were on our wanted list for about a decade,'€ he said.

Densus 88 started the counter-terrorism operation with the arrest of Ibnu Khaldun, alias Rifki alias Bondan, in Indramayu, West Java, on May 12. He was a fugitive following his alleged involvement in the Tentena bombing in Central Sulawesi in 2005, which killed 22 people. '€œHe participated in paramilitary training in Moro, the Philippines, from 1999 until 2002,'€ Boy said.

After receiving information from Ibnu, Densus 88 arrested nine of his accomplices. In Klaten, Central Java, the squad arrested seven suspects identified as Suyata Joko Purwanto, Badawi Rachman, Slamet Sucipto, Abdul Rofiq, Rohmat Jauhar Arifin and Muhammad Yusuf.

The police found the seven suspects had kept explosive substances, 15 homemade air rifles, two airguns and more than 30 swords and knives in a welding workshop in Trucuk, Klaten.

It is suspected the group was attempting to assemble bombs, as TNT, detonators and explosive substances were found in the workshop.

According to Boy, the police did not find any indication that the group intended an attack in the presidential campaign period or on election day.

'€œWe did not find any specific targets, but considering the track record of this group, its members likely intended to hurt people,'€ he said.

The suspects crafted their own air guns, similar to a CM028 AK47 airsoft gun that they owned.

'€œThey assembled air rifles using the tools they had,'€ Boy said.

Densus 88 arrested another suspect, Muhammad alias Kapten, in Paciran, Lamongan, East Java. The other two suspects, Andi Alkautsar and Gunawan, were apprehended in South Sulawesi and Central Java'€™s Semarang, respectively.

All of the 10 suspects will be charged under multiple articles of the 2003 Anti-Terrorism Law.

In the past few years, various terrorist cells have attempted to disrupt the elections, which they deem an ungodly processes.

On July 17, 2009 '€” days after the first round of the 2009 presidential election '€” terrorists linked to Southeast Asian militant group Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) launched suicide bombings at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta.