Magelang City Police Uncover Illegal Explosives Case
Magelang — The Magelang City Police force has uncovered a case involving the alleged possession and distribution of illegal explosives, apprehending a youth identified as FB (18), a resident of Bantul, who was suspected of offering firecracker materials through social media.
According to Iwan Kristiana, the Head of Criminal Investigation at Magelang City Police, speaking in Magelang on Saturday, the breakthrough came from cyber patrols conducted by the Criminal Investigation unit. Officers identified an account offering firecracker materials online.
To verify the information, the team conducted an undercover operation, posing as potential buyers and communicating with the suspect.
After reaching an agreement, a meeting was arranged using a cash-on-delivery system in the Central Magelang area. As the transaction was about to take place, officers who had been on standby immediately apprehended the suspect.
“The distribution of explosives without authorisation is extremely dangerous and cannot be tolerated. This poses a real threat to public safety,” Kristiana stated.
According to him, the seized evidence included 89 grams of fireworks material and hundreds of grams of mixed chemicals allegedly ready to be processed into firecracker items.
In addition, police also confiscated the vehicle used by the suspect and a storage bag as part of the evidence.
He noted that the distribution of illegal explosives carries significant danger, particularly ahead of certain occasions when firecracker use is prevalent. Beyond the risk of causing serious injury, the use of improvised explosives can also result in damage to public facilities.
For these actions, investigators applied Article 306 of Law No. 1/2023 on the Criminal Code, carrying a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment. This article explicitly prohibits any person from possessing or carrying explosives without official authorisation.
He urged the public not to be tempted to purchase illegal explosives for any reason whatsoever. All information regarding suspected distribution of dangerous materials is expected to be promptly reported to authorities.