Police Say Abdul Karim's Terror Network Arrested in Malaysia

The Indonesian National Police’s International Relations Division (Hubinter) has stated that Palestinian national Abdul Karim Miqdad, who was arrested and deported from Indonesia, is linked to a terror network whose members were previously apprehended in Malaysia. Secretary of the NCB Hubinter Polri, Brigadier General Untung Widyatmoko, refuted allegations that the individual was a religious figure or a Palestinian activist. He emphasised that an Interpol Red Notice would not be issued if the case involved religious or political issues. “An Interpol Red Notice will not be published if the subject being pursued is related to politics or religion. Clearly, a Red Notice is only issued after a rigorous verification process,” he told reporters on Wednesday (22/7). Untung explained that the perpetrator’s involvement in a terror network had been proven, leading to the official issuance of the fugitive status by Interpol. He stated that members of Abdul Karim’s terror network had been arrested earlier by Malaysian authorities. “His network in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was arrested first. The network’s role is clear, with the individual involved as a perpetrator,” he said. Untung noted that the request for Abdul Karim’s fugitive status was submitted by the Cypriot government in May 2026, following a bomb explosion incident in the Nicosia area. He said the Red Notice was officially issued by Interpol on 10 June 2026. Subsequently, the individual was detected entering Indonesian territory from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “If it is said that we acted in a non-procedural manner, that is completely wrong. The Interpol Red Notice was published on 10 June 2026, and it was discovered that the individual entered Indonesian territory from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,” he stated. According to Untung, the deportation was carried out because Abdul Karim was deemed to pose a potential security threat within the country. He added that this step was also part of Indonesia’s obligations as an Interpol member state. “We carried out the deportation due to the potential domestic threat and, of course, in accordance with procedures as an Interpol member country, given the existence of an arrest warrant and suspect determination from the Cyprus Police,” he concluded. Previously, the Indonesian National Police stated that Abdul Karim Raed Miqdad was an Interpol fugitive in a terrorism case based on a Red Notice published by the NCB Interpol in Nicosia, Cyprus. Abdul Karim was arrested in Indonesia on Thursday (16/7) and deported to the Republic of Cyprus the following day. The police also revealed that Abdul Karim was carrying three passports when he was detained. Upon inspection, two of them were suspected to be counterfeit and categorised as Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD).