Tuesday Afternoon Pope Francis Arrives In Indonesia, Joint Soetta Airport Sterile Officer

Illustration of Soekarno Hatta Airport in Cengkareng, Tangerang (ANTARA)

TANGERANG - Police carried out patrols and security sterilization at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (Soetta), Tangerang, Banten, ahead of Pope Francis' visit to Indonesia on September 3-6, 2024.

This operation was carried out in the framework of Operation Tri Brata Jaya 2024 to maintain the security of VVIP guests.

Kapolresta Bandara Soetta Kombes Pol Roberto Pasaribu stated that patrols were carried out at all airport terminals, including the Cargo Terminal, as an effort to create conducive security conditions.

"This operation involves 270 joint personnel from Polda Metro Jaya, TNI, and Aviation Security (Avsec) Soetta Airport," said Kombes Pol Roberto Pasaribu as quoted by ANTARA.

Hundreds of these personnel will provide security to prevent security threats during Pope Francis' visit. Security is divided into three rings, namely the first ring by Paspampres, the second ring by the TNI as the command of the field control, and the third ring by the Police.

"Security activities also include sweeping the VVIP route to be traversed, ensuring there are no dangerous objects such as nails that can interfere with the group's journey," added Roberto Pasaribu.

Meanwhile, Dandim 0506/Tangerang Lt. Col. Inf. Ari Sutrisno added that 125 TNI personnel will focus on maintaining the flow of VVIP guests' travel, starting from the parking area to leaving the airport area.

Pope Francis' visit to Indonesia was part of his analytic journey to the Asia Pacific region, including Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste, and Singapore, from September 2-13 2024. In Indonesia, the Pope is scheduled to arrive on September 3 and will meet with President Joko Widodo on September 4 at the Merdeka Palace.

On September 5, Pope Francis will attend an interfaith meeting at the Istiqlal Mosque and meet with beneficiaries of charitable organizations at the KWI office.