Indonesian Police Scour Batam for More Militants

Jakarta, 05 Dzulqa’dah 1437/08 August 2016  (MINA) – Indonesian police are scouring the Batam holiday island for other militants of a little-known terror cell, a day after the arrest of six members including its leader who had planned to fire a rocket into Singapore’s Marina Bay.

National police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar told The Straits Times on Saturday that police are tracking down the remaining members of the Katibah GR, or Cell GR.

“There are only a few of them, less than 10,” he said. The group was formed in 2014, and police have been monitoring the activities of its leader Gigih Rahmat Dewa, 31, since late last year, he added.

Security has also been beefed up in Batam, with “many, many” personnel guarding vital facilities, he said. Boy Rafli said Gigih and Syria-based Indonesian militant Muhammad Bahrun Naim had begun plans to fire a missile into Marina Bay around 2015.

Boy Rafli said police have confiscated items from Gigih’s house, but he declined to give details.

“We cannot reveal much as of now but Gigih became radicalised only in recent years,” he said.

“He is the agent for people who want to go there (to Syria) and for Uighurs wanting to enter Indonesia,” he added.

Indonesia’s anti-terror police on Friday nabbed the six men who belonged to the cell.

Gigih worked at an electronics factory in Batam. The other five Katibah GR members were aged 19 to 46. The 46-year old man, Trio Syafrido, was a bank officer, while the others were all factory workers. In response to this terror threat and the prevailing security situation, police and other agencies in Singapore have been stepping up inland and border security measures, said Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.

Boy Rafli said: “We always communicate and share information with Singapore authorities. The police attache always comes to us to share information.”

The group will be flown to Jakarta for questioning. “The plan yesterday was to fly them to Jakarta today. They might already be here,” he said, adding that he has no update. “We will continue to question them and collect evidence.” (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)