Terrorist Breached Police Headquarters, Former Head Of Intelligence Soleman Ponto: Police Station Security Is Like Hotels

Police Headquarters (Angga Nugraha / VOI)

JAKARTA - Former head of the TNI's Strategic Intelligence Agency (Kabais), Soleman Ponto, admits that he is not surprised by the incident of terrorist acts in which the perpetrators were able to penetrate the area of the National Police Headquarters, South Jakarta.

Because, said Soleman, security at the police station is like a hotel that can be entered by people who want to get public services.

"For me the police station is not more like a hotel, because they have to serve the community. Whoever he serves, when he is served, is a terrorist, yes he is unlucky," said Soelman during a Crosscheck discussion, Sunday, April 4.

With the recent acts of terror, Soleman said that officers must be more vigilant about every individual who enters his office. However, this does not mean that police stations restrict access from the public.

"Do your best to serve the public, if it's terrorists, that's fate. Don't let this cause the police to be far away from society. Indeed, the police serve the public. It was impossible for them not to serve the public. So, the risk is like that," said Soleman.

It is different with the condition of TNI Headquarters. According to Soleman, if the TNI Headquarters was broken into by a terror attack, it would be surprising because the security was tighter.

"The police station will not be as loud as the TNI headquarters. If the TNI Headquarters penetrates, that would be extraordinary," he said.

Previously reported, the terror act that took place at the Jakarta Police Headquarters was carried out by a suspected terrorist with the initials ZA. The 25-year-old woman entered the National Police Headquarters at around 16.30 WIB.

At that time, he pretended to ask about the position of the Post office. After that he returned to the guard post. Not long after, ZA fired six shots at the officers before being finally paralyzed.

National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo said ZA had the ideology of ISIS. This is known from his last post on his Instagram account.

"This person concerned is a suspect or perpetrator of a lone wolf with the ideology of ISIS. He is concerned with the post in question on social media," General Listyo Sigit told reporters, Wednesday, March 31.

From a search for ZA's Instagram account, an ISIS flag post was found. "The person concerned has an Instagram that was just created or posted 21 hours ago, in which there is an ISIS flag and there is an inscription on how the jihad is fighting," he continued.