Police told to raid terrorist network

JAKARTA: Vice President Hamzah Haz said on Thursday that it was the duty of the police to investigate the possible existence of the Nusantara terrorist network linking terrorist groups in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines.

Hamzah said in a statement that he was responding to National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar who earlier said that he had collected information on the Nusantara terrorist network.

"Well, if it's true, then the police should investigate it. They have to prove whether the terrorist network is related to threats against Indonesia," Hamzah said.

The Vice President said he had not received a report from the National Police chief concerning the Nusantara terrorist network, and any such assumption should not affect the country's serious attention to tackling the economic recovery program.

"If we are always haunted by bad news, I'm worried that the value of the rupiah could drop again. So if there are indications of terrorism, just deal with it quickly. Don't try to expose disturbing news, let alone misleading news," Hamzah said. --Antara