Densus 88 Arrests Man in Ciamis for Alleged Radical Propaganda on Social Media

The Special Detachment (Densus) 88 Anti-terror of the Indonesian National Police arrested a man with the initials AR in the Ciamis region, West Java, on Monday (20/7). Densus 88 spokesperson, Senior Commissioner Mayndra Eka Wardhana, stated that the action was taken because the perpetrator was involved in propaganda, recruitment, and incitement activities through social media platforms. “Investigators discovered the dissemination of various materials containing narratives of radicalism and terrorism, legitimising violence,” he said in a written statement on Tuesday (21/7). Mayndra added that the authorities are currently examining the perpetrator intensively to investigate his role in accordance with applicable legal provisions. He then appealed to the entire community to remain active in combating the spread of extremism, radicalism, and terrorism through the digital space. Furthermore, Mayndra also expressed hope that the public would not be easily influenced by content containing hate speech, justification of violence, or propaganda from terrorist groups. “If you find suspicious activity on social media or digital platforms, the public can report it to law enforcement officials so that it can be followed up according to applicable regulations,” he said.