25 Kopassus members to help police curb terrorism
25 Kopassus members to help police curb terrorism
JAKARTA (JP): National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro
admitted on Friday to having asked for backup from the Army's
Special Force (Kopassus) in police efforts to fight terrorism.
"Twenty-five Kopassus members from the antiterrorism group are
now helping us at Jakarta Police headquarters," Bimantoro said.
Jakarta, according to Bimantoro, was considered to be the main
target for terrorists. Medan and Surabaya could also be targets,
he added.
The Kopassus members were assigned to help police identify
cases and assist them in investigating the criminal aspects of
terrorism cases.
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam
separately said that the police had their specializations as did
Kopassus.
"But we work together. In the investigation of a case,
Kopassus will work as the antiterror group while the police will
continue to work as the crime investigators," he said.
Bimantoro said that the National Police's intelligence unit
actually had a hunch about the possible presence of an
international terrorist group cooperating with local accomplices
due to the widespread smuggling of weapons and explosives.
He further said the police had forged collaboration with the
relevant parties to curb weapons and explosives smuggling in an
effort to block the flow to terrorists.
"It is difficult but we're working on it. The smuggling rings
are very tidy. Sometimes they work with insiders from companies
so we can't detect whether there is smuggling or not because the
documents are legal," he said.
Lt. Gen. (ret) A.M. Hendropriyono, the chief of the National
Intelligence Agency (BIN), warned on Thursday that the country
was vulnerable to infiltration by international terrorists.
He also acknowledged the difficulty of curbing international
terrorism within the country and therefore said his agency would
focus on fighting its domestic accomplices.
The presence of international terrorists here emerged after
security officials claimed that a series of terrorist attacks in
the country were allegedly linked to foreign terrorist groups.
In a related development, Vice President Hamzah Haz ordered on
Friday that the National Intelligence Agency restore order in the
country's troubled regions.
Hendropriyono said after meeting with Hamzah Haz at the vice
presidential palace that "a lot of matters must be handled and
secured", Antara reported.
He, however, declined to elaborate, saying he had made a full
report to the Vice President. (emf)