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Terror attacks in Indonesia mostly funded from overseas: PPATK
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The fight against terrorism – The National Police’s Densus 88 counterterrorism squad ‘paralyze’ suspected terrorists in a simulation exercise at the East Java Police headquarters in Surabaya, East Java, recently. (thejakartapost.com/Wahyoe Boediwardhana)
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large portion of the money used by terror groups in Indonesia comes from overseas, the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) revealed on Tuesday.
PPATK deputy chairman Agus Santoso said the center had detected a large amount of money sent by entities in several countries abroad, including Australia and Middle Eastern countries, to fund terrorism in Indonesia.
“They transferred the money. They had many ways of sending the funds, for example, through our migrant workers in Malaysia, Singapore and Middle Eastern countries. The money can be directed to Indonesia through various countries such as Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and many more," he said.
Agus refused to give more details on the amount of money transferred from abroad to finance terror activities in Indonesia. He said the PPATK’s intelligence data could not be made public, as it could be given only to law enforcement bodies such as the National Police’s Densus 88 counterterrorism unit to track terrorist activities.
(Read also : Monitoring financial flows key in fight against terrorism: Experts)
"As a financial intelligence unit, the PPATK will provide information on networks with suspicious transactions. If a law enforcement process stands alone, it won’t be successful because terrorists will neither confess to nor open their links. They might claim that they work alone, but, from their transactions, we can give evidence that they are not working alone," Agus said.
He further said the PPATK adhered to international fund transfer instructions in which every single rupiah, or a single dollar’s worth of transaction, must be reported to the center. "We also have cross border cash carrying procedures. Those who bring cash money across borders must be asked to reveal the source of their money," he said.
Agus was speaking during the 2nd Counter Terrorism Financing Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali. Delegates from at least 55 countries attended the meeting.
Agus said the PPATK was currently mapping out the sources of finance for terror groups in Indonesia and their membership in any terrorist-related organization.
"From Densus 88, we have a list of names of terrorists and suspected terrorists. From their transactions, we will know with whom they have made financial transactions," he said. (ebf)
