BNPT Call 1,500 Indonesian Citizens To Be Cross-Border Terrorists, 800 People Have Not Returned

Head of BNPT Boy Rafli Amar at a working meeting at Commission III of the DPR

JAKARTA - Head of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) Boy Rafli Amar said there were around 1,500 Indonesian citizens (WNI) who became foreign terrorist fighters (FTF). As many as 800 people have not returned home.

This was conveyed by the Head of BNPT in a progress report related to terrorism at a working meeting at Commission III of the DPR.

"FTF from Indonesia, as estimated by the BNPT FTF Task Force, has a total of 1,500 people, with details of 800 people who have not returned, 100 people died, 550 were deported to Indonesia and 50 returned," said Boy Rafli, Thursday, May 27.

Boy said the BNPT planned to go to Syria and Iraq to carry out an assessment of Indonesian citizens who became FTF. The results of the visit will be reported to President Jokowi regarding the possibility of repatriation to Indonesia.

"We are supposed to go to Syria and Iraq for an assessment, but are waiting for a signal because of the COVID-19 pandemic conditions," he said.

Boy explained, related to criminal acts or terrorism financing, legal proceedings are being carried out against 120 deportants and returning people since 2015.

For deportants and returning people who did not undergo legal proceedings, continue to carry out the deradicalisation program involving the Social and Child Rehabilitation Center.

Meanwhile, related to the stage of reintegration into the community, it is carried out with open and closed supervision.

"Open surveillance is carried out with visits for profiles that are considered cooperative, and closed surveillance is carried out through information technology-based surveillance," he said.

According to him, the implementation of monitoring of deportants and returning profiles will be evaluated to see the level of radicalism, targets, and determine the priority scale in determining targets.

In addition, Boy Rafli also said that law enforcement officers (APH) are still carrying out efforts that are law enforcement operations related to terrorism. It is recorded that from January to May 2021 there were 216 people.

"With details related to the network of the Jamaah Al Islamiyyah group of 71 people, the JAD group of 144 people and 1 deportant," he said.