Maluku Tenggara Police Arrest Suspect in Prayer Hall Arson Attack

Ambon (ANTARA) — The Maluku Tenggara District Police (Polres Malra) have arrested the perpetrator of an arson attack on a building intended to serve as a mushola in Ohoi Hako, Maluku Tenggara Regency, in less than 24 hours after the incident.

“Upon receiving the report, we immediately took swift and measured investigative steps. The suspected perpetrator was successfully apprehended and has now been named a suspect,” said Maluku Tenggara Police Chief AKBP Rian Suhendi in Ambon on Friday.

He revealed that the suspected perpetrator, identified by the initials S.R., alias Soleh, had been detained and formally named as a suspect.

The arson occurred on Wednesday (18 February 2026) at approximately 10:00 Eastern Indonesian Time. The building that was set alight was still under construction and had been planned as a temporary prayer hall for local residents.

The fire managed to burn the rear section of the building but was extinguished by residents before it could spread, and no casualties were reported. Following the incident, the perpetrator fled the scene.

A joint team from the Maluku Tenggara Police Criminal Investigation Unit and the South Kei Besar Sector Police then conducted an investigation and successfully apprehended the suspect on the same day.

After undergoing intensive questioning, investigators formally named S.R. as a suspect on 19 February 2026. He has been charged under Article 308, Paragraph 1 of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of nine years’ imprisonment.