Aftermath of Tasikmalaya Explosion: BNPT and Densus 88 Urged to Create Economic Integration Regulation for Ex-Terrorist Inmates

Andi Sapada Institute Criminology Programme Head Tegar Bimantoro has highlighted the case of a former terrorist inmate, identified as A, who allegedly detonated an explosive device at a street vendor’s stall in Dadaha, Tasikmalaya City. The incident, which stemmed from a dispute over the stall on Saturday night (11/7/2026), is seen as clear evidence of serious flaws in the post-release supervision and rehabilitation system. Tegar stressed that the suspect’s possession of active ammunition raises crucial questions that law enforcement and related agencies must answer immediately. ‘The fundamental question that must be investigated now is where did the suspect obtain the ammunition? How could such a lapse in monitoring occur? The government must immediately conduct a remapping to detect how many ex-terrorist inmates out there still possess tactical capabilities and access to explosives,’ Tegar said on Monday (13/7/2026). Beyond the security aspect, Tegar believes the incident exposes the socio-economic roots of the problem faced by former inmates upon reintegrating into society. He assessed that the conflict erupted due to the government’s minimal presence in facilitating decent employment integration. Current recovery programmes are considered poorly connected to the realities of the labour market, triggering a labour mismatch phenomenon. ‘The government, through BNPT or Densus 88, must create innovative new regulations to address the labour mismatch for ex-terrorist inmates. This new regulation must be able to accommodate and direct them to the right economic sectors so they do not have to fight over jobs on the streets,’ Tegar explained. While pushing for new breakthroughs, Tegar reminded the government to be realistic about the availability of budget for rehabilitation and field supervision. He argued that public safety requires commensurate investment. According to him, optimal supervision of thousands of former terrorist inmates spread across various regions is impossible if the relevant agencies are only provided with limited funds. ‘Monitoring thousands of ex-terrorist inmates across Indonesia with a minimal budget is impossible. If the government wants to create a truly safe environment, then the investment and budget allocated for supervision and rehabilitation must also be substantial,’ Tegar concluded. The incident occurred when a former terrorist inmate, identified as A, allegedly detonated an explosive device during a dispute with fellow street vendors in Dadaha, Cihideung District, Tasikmalaya City, West Java, on Saturday night. The Tasikmalaya City Police, together with a Mobile Brigade team, processed the crime scene on Sunday, seizing evidence including metal materials, KCL fertiliser, aluminium powder, sulphur, cable and battery installations, and a remote control. ‘After receiving a complaint from the public, we and the Mobile Brigade conducted a sweep and a series of investigations regarding the explosion incident,’ said Tasikmalaya City Police Chief AKBP Andi Purwanto on Monday. Andi confirmed the incident was a personal conflict and unrelated to any terrorist network. ‘We have also detained three people involved in the dispute. We are still conducting an investigation regarding this matter,’ Andi stated. In addition to arresting the three individuals involved in the dispute, the police also searched A’s house in Gunung Koneng Village, Cihideung District. On Monday, the Tasikmalaya City Police officially named A as a suspect. The suspect, AAS, is charged with the criminal misuse of sharp weapons, firearms, and explosives as stipulated in Article 306 or Article 308 of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code. The young man, who worked daily as an iced tea seller, is now being held in the Tasikmalaya City Police detention centre.