Polri Shows How JI Terrorist Group Recruit Best Graduates From Ponpes

Police Headquarters

JAKARTA - The National Police said the terrorist organization Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) recruited the best graduates from various Islamic boarding schools.

"They recruited from the Islamic boarding schools, which of course this boarding school affiliated with JI to become troops," said Brigadier General Rusdi Hartono, Head of the Public Information Bureau of the National Police's Public Relations Division at the Police Criminal Investigation Office, Jakarta, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, December 29.

The selected candidates for JI members are those who have high intelligence and loyalty. "Apart from that, what is no less important is that physical ability is a consideration for JI to recruit JI troops," he said.

The National Police suspects that the Islamic boarding schools whose students are recruited by JI have involvement with the JI organization.

"It is suspected that there is also involvement of figures in the boarding school," said Rusdi.

When asked for the name of the boarding school involved, Rusdi did not give an answer because this case was still in the process of being investigated by Densus 88 Anti-terror Police.

Previously, Densus 88 Anti-terror Polri found a martial arts gym in Ungaran, Semarang, Central Java, which was known to belong to the terrorist group Jamaah Islamiyah (JI).

The JI group has 12 similar locations in Central Java. The martial arts camp in Ungaran is in the form of several villa houses. The place is used for JI group martial arts training.

Not only martial arts, the gym also taught how to assemble bombs and how to deal with ambushes. The followers of the JI group who practice self-defense at the Sasana Martial in Ungaran are prepared to leave for Syria.

The JI terrorist group spends around Rp.65 million per month to provide self-defense training and bomb building for its members.

For one generation trained at the Sasana Martial in Ungaran, it is known that it lasts six months. Meanwhile, to dispatch its members to Syria, the Jamaah Islamiyah terrorist group has spent up to Rp300 million.

The funds were obtained from infaq and fees from JI members. There are about 6,000 active JI members to date. The head of martial arts and military teaching at the gym is Joko Priyono alias Karso, who is now a convict.