Fadli, Batam – The National Police's Densus 88 counterterrorism squad arrested a 16-year-old boy in his house in Merapi Subur housing complex in Batam, Riau Islands on Wednesday evening. Recent arrests also occurred in Tasikmalaya, West Java and Kendal in Central Java.
The neighborhood unit (RT) head of the housing complex, Adip Kurniawan, told The Jakarta Post that personnel of the squad and from the Riau Islands Police arrested the boy and he was taken to the Riau Islands Police headquarters.
Adip said the terrorism suspect was the eldest of two siblings and the family had just rented the house in March. "They're new here and they're friendly, but the one arrested is a child," Adip said.
Riau Islands Police chief Insp. Gen. Aris Budiman confirmed the arrest during his inspection of Idul Fitri holiday security. "So far, the security in Riau Islands and Batam is under control," he said.
Aris, however, did not divulge more information about the teenager's arrest.
In 2016, Densus 88 unraveled a terrorist network calling itself Katibah Gonggong Rebus (KGR), led by 31-year-old Gigih Rahmat Dewa in Batam. The police said they once planned to shoot a rocket to Marina Bay in Singapore from Batam.
"Gonggong rebus" is actually the name of a Batam dish of boiled snails.