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Terror groups use alms boxes to collect funds in N. Sumatra: Police
More than 500 donation boxes were confiscated from the homes of suspected terrorists in Deli Serdang regency and Tanjung Balai municipality from March 19 to 26.
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This is a drill: Personnel from the National Police’s antiterrorism squad Densus 88 take action against a simulated terrorist in an exercise in Lebak Bulus MRT station in South Jakarta on Dec. 16, 2020. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
T
he National Police’s Densus 88 counterterrorism squad is investigating a network of alleged terrorists in North Sumatra believed to be crowdfunding their activities by placing alms boxes in public spaces.
More than 500 donation boxes were confiscated from the homes of suspected terrorists in Deli Serdang regency and Tanjung Balai municipality from March 19 to 26. The police also nabbed 18 alleged terrorists in a series of operations in the two regions and several other locations in Medan, Binjai, Langkat and Padang Sidempuan, according to North Sumatra Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Hadi Wahyudi.
“These charity boxes were put in public places such as convenient stores, supermarkets, [traditional] markets and restaurants. The money collected was allegedly used to fund terror activities,” Hadi told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.
The police have not identified which terror groups they belong to, nor have revealed how much money was collected or what kind of activities the money was for.
Read also: Police find thousands of alms boxes allegedly used by Jamaah Islamiyah to raise money
Last December, the police found more than 20,000 alms boxes believed to have been used to raise money for the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist group in 12 regions, including in North Sumatra.
Former terrorist convict Khairul Ghazali, who upon release was often quoted by journalists, said Indonesian terrorists often used donation boxes to raise funds, including groups in North Sumatra.
