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Nusakambangan lacks security, despite dangerous convicts
On alert: Police officers patrol in a Cilacap maritime police boat off Nusakambangan Island in Central Java
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span class="inline inline-center">On alert: Police officers patrol in a Cilacap maritime police boat off Nusakambangan Island in Central Java. The patrol is part of the efforts to step up security at the island, home to a prison that holds several major criminals, including terrorists. JP/Agus Maryono
Nusakambangan, one of the largest penitentiaries in Indonesia, seems to be lacking security, despite holding big-name convicts serving long prison terms for major crimes, including terrorism.
Only the Dermaga Wijaya Pura pier, the main access onto the prison island located off Cilacap, Central Java, is tightly guarded by security personnel.
Many of its boundaries are unguarded and can easily be intruded upon, whereas in fact access to the prison island, on which hundreds of hardcore convicts and dozens of terrorists are confined, must be tightly secured.
The 30-kilometer-long and 7-kilometer-wide island is home to the super maximum security prison, which was initially intended to resemble Alcatraz prison island in the United States. But the facts are otherwise, as anyone can enter the island on the pretext of taking an excursion, or by using other excuses.
Laskar Nusakambangan commander Rasino, 43, who is also a Nahdlatul Ulama activist from Cilacap regency, said several entrances to Nusakambangan could be easily accessed without passing security.
'One of them is from Teluk Penyu Beach where many fishermen offer services to carry people to Nusakambangan on excursions,' Rasino told The Jakarta Post recently.
According to him, visitors usually visit tourist sites on Nusakambangan, such as Permisan Beach and a number of caves.
He added that people could enter the parameters of the penitentiary from the tourist attractions, but not get inside the penitentiary.
'So, not all the boundaries on Nusakambangan are guarded by police and Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel. This is actually very dangerous and it doesn't suit it to be called the Alcatraz of Indonesia,' Rasino said recently.
According to him, if Nusakambangan wishes to be off limits to intruders, every corner of the island that can now be easily accessed by people must be guarded.
Apart from that, Kampung Laut Island is located virtually next to Nusakambangan. 'Those who wish to enter Nusakambangan can go through Kampung Laut because it is only separated by several rice fields,' said Rasino.
Nusakambangan Island is currently occupied by around 1,500 prisoners, including terror convict Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, who is serving 15 years in the prison.
Ba'asyir recently openly expressed his support for the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) and he had been visited by seven people from West Java who were believed to be ISIL supporters.
Their car, containing a number of ISIL paraphernalia, including an ISIL flag and T-shirts, entered the island without being detected by guards. The seven men were then held by police, but were later released and they left Nusakambangan.
According to Cilacap Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Andry Triaspoetra, the seven people were released because of a lack of criminal evidence.
'However, we have obtained data on them. We didn't have criminal evidence so we released them after holding them for 24 hours,' said Andry.
Regarding the island's security, Andry said police had stepped it up because of numerous reports about ISIL.
'Besides intensifying patrols we have also reinforced personnel at every entrance. We tightened security for visitors, especially those visiting the terrorist prison,' Andry told the Post.
Andry acknowledged some of the areas on Nusakambangan were apparently unguarded, but he said mobile patrols were conducted by fully-equipped personnel once in every three hours.
