Densus 88 Warns Residents When Giving Donations, Don't Instead Run To Terrorist Funds

PHOTO VIA ANTARA (Illustration)

JAKARTA - The Head of the Operational Assistance Section (Kabagbanops) of the Anti-terror Detachment 88 of the National Police Kombes Pol. Aswin Siregar reminded the public to be more vigilant in channeling their donations so that they are not channeled to terrorist groups.

"We hope that the public can be more vigilant in channeling donations to unknown organizations or groups," Aswin said when confirmed in Jakarta, Wednesday, May 25, quoted from Antara.

Aswin said it was possible that other terrorist groups, such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Jamaah Ansharud Daulah (JAD), imitated the fundraising scheme of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI).

In 2021, Densus 88 together with the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) succeeded in dismantling the funding of the JI terrorist group. A number of administrators and leaders of charitable foundations belonging to the banned organization have been arrested.

Monday (23/5), the National Police's Anti-terror Detachment 88 arrested a student from a university in Malang, East Java, with the initials IA (22), for allegedly being involved in raising funds for the ISIS group in Indonesia.

Aswin said that his party was still studying how IA did fundraising, which was allegedly imitating the fundraising method like JI's.

"This is currently under Densus investigation. It is possible that the JI group's fundraising method can be imitated by other groups," he added.

Investigators are still investigating the involvement of suspect IA in certain terrorist groups. Suspect IA is known to be connected to one of the JAD members with the initials MR who was arrested some time ago.

"He is connected to one of the JAD members who has now been arrested," he said.

Apart from raising funds, suspect IA is also involved in spreading ISIS propaganda content through social media.

Not only that, from the evidence found, IA was involved in intense communication with the suspect MR. In the communication, IA and MR discussed plans for amaliyah (attacks) in public facilities and police stations.

"The attack on thoqut's facilities, namely the police. The method is physically and with weapons," said Aswin.