Police Unveils JI Terrorist Group's Firearms Smuggling Scheme

JAKARTA - The National Police revealed a firearm smuggling scheme by a suspected terrorist with the initials AS, a member of the Jamaah Islamiah (JI) group.

Head of the Public Relations Division of the National Police Public Relations Division, Commissioner Ahmad Ramadhan, said that the suspected AS terrorist had deliberately extended the shipping route from Bangka Belitung to Jakarta. In fact, the firearms could have been sent directly to Poso, Central Sulawesi.

"So that the goods sent from Bangka Belitung arrive in Jakarta first, then from Jakarta they are checked first to be sent again according to the destination, which process is to break the source chain of the previous package, to make it tidier", Ramadhan told reporters, Monday, July 12.

In this way, continued Ramadhan, the JI terrorist group thought it could trick the officers.

In addition, from the examination of the suspected terrorist, it was also stated in the initial plan that the weapons would be sent to the suspected terrorist who is now a fugitive.

"AS explained that the weapons and ammunition sent to suspects S and D in Jakarta were planned to be sent to the Poso terrorist DPO in Central Sulawesi", he said.

In the firearms smuggling scheme, the suspected US terrorist communicated with his group in Jakarta using social media accounts. However, the account is not his.

"AS connected with S using the green account belonging to Umm Nisa which was given to S to communicate with AS under the account name Abulebay alias Sakira01", said Ramadhan.

"AS and S are connected through banking through a private bank related to ordering ammunition, revolver firearms, and long-barreled firearms. AS and S are connected by using several social media communications. In order to send firearms to Jakarta, S uses the address and identity of BS", he continued.

For information, AS was arrested in Bangka Belitung, Wednesday, June 30. AS arrest is the result of the development of the arrest of two suspected terrorists, namely DS who was arrested in East Jakarta, and SY who was arrested in West Jakarta.

All three were involved in the delivery of firearms and ammunition. AS sent firearms and ammunition from Bangka Belitung to DS in East Jakarta. Meanwhile, SY is a fundraiser as well as sending money for the purchase of firearms.

"So the role of the DS is to receive this weapon package", said Ramadhan.

Meanwhile, the suspect SY, said Ramadhan, played a role in raising funds and had a bank account where funds were purchased for weapons purchases.

The funds raised by SY were sent to AS in Bangka Belitung to send packages containing weapons.

SY has made several transactions to send funds for the purchase of weapons to AS.

"The first fund was sent IDR 3 million, the second IDR 7 million, and the third was sent IDR 3 million. There is a column for information written on the delivery of revolvers and long rifles", said Ramadhan.