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Police arrest six over alleged plot to use explosives during 212 alumni rally
The National Police’s Densus 88 counterterrorism unit, the Jakarta Police and Tangerang Police in Banten arrested six people around midnight on Saturday for allegedly planning to use explosive materials during a 212 alumni rally in Central Jakarta.
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Illustration of a police line. (Antara/Muhammad Arif Pribadi)
The National Police’s Densus 88 counterterrorism unit, the Jakarta Police and Tangerang Police in Banten arrested six people around midnight on Saturday for allegedly planning to use explosive materials during a 212 alumni rally in Central Jakarta.
The rally, titled Mujahid 212 Save the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), was slated for Saturday.
Tangerang Police criminal unit head Adj. Sr. Comr. Dicky Ario confirmed the police had arrested six people, identified as AB, SG, YF, AU, OS and SS, on Jl. Maulana Hasanudin, Cipondoh, Tangerang, Banten.
During the arrest, the police also confiscated 29 items of explosive material, among other things.
The suspects were arrested under allegations they had violated Article 1 clause 1 of the 1951 Emergency Law for the crime of making, controlling, storing, transporting, delivering or attempting to hand over explosive materials.
Among the people arrested, the police identified AB as a lecturer in the school of economics and management at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) in West Java.
AB allegedly played a role in crafting a Molotov cocktail and keeping it at his house in Bogor.
Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said the police suspected the Molotov cocktail would be used to carry out arson attacks in Jakarta during the aforementioned protest.
reported.kompas.com“If they were not arrested, [fires from the Molotov cocktails] could have happened,” he said on Monday,
However, the targeted location remains unidentified, as the police are continuing to dig deeper into the case.
Responding to the issue, IPB public relations bureau head Yatri Indah Kusumastuti said the university was not connected to the alleged crime of one of its lecturers.
“The alleged activity [of AB] has nothing to do with his role as an IPB lecturer and it is his responsibility as a person,” she said in a written statement on Monday.
The university would wait for legal certainty regarding AB, and hoped the process would be carried out in a transparent, accountable and fair manner, she added.
Yatri said the university would take the necessary measures for those who violate the university's rules regarding the norms and ethics of the lecturers.
"IPB has committed to maintaining the unity of the nation and opposing all acts of violence that damage the nation’s unity and integrity for any purpose or reason," she said.
Argo also said one of the perpetrators, SS, was a retired rear admiral and that the police had cooperated with the Navy Police (Pomal) to identify SS' role in the group.
reported.kompas.comThe Mujahid 212 rally was aimed at “protesting against injustice in the country”, according to committee head Edy Mulyadi,
The rally followed a series of large-scale demonstrations held last week in Jakarta and other cities across the country.
Saturday’s rally was initiated by the 212 alumni group, which comprises Islamic groups and activists that participated in street protests to call for the prosecution of then-Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama for blasphemy in 2016.
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto previously claimed the wave of demonstrations had been "taken over" by groups whose final aim was to thwart the inauguration of President Joko "Jokowi” Widodo.
"We have enough evidence that [the groups that took over the protests] want to occupy the House of Representatives and the People's Consultative Assembly, so they cannot carry out their duties," he continued, "meaning they want to prevent the inauguration of House members. Furthermore, they also want to prevent the President from being inaugurated."
Wiranto did not provide any evidence for his claims during a press conference last Thursday.
(motorcycle taxi) drivers may become involved. (sau)ojekHowever, he added that "radical Islamic groups" would be part of a "new wave" of protests and that other elements of society, ranging from soccer fans to
