Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Ahmad Munasir Rafie Pratama, a missing lecturer who teaches at the Indonesian Islamic University (UII), has been detected in Boston, the university announced over the weekend.
Ahmad was supposed to fly back from Oslo to Indonesia via Turkey on Feb. 12 after attending a series of academic activities at the University of Southeastern Norway (USN).
Ahmad told his wife that he would land in Jakarta on Feb. 16, but was reported missing after he did not show up at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport that day.
"AMRP has been detected to have entered the US via the Boston airport on Feb. 13, according to the United States Customs and Border Protection [US CBP]," UII Chancellor Fathul Wahid said on the university's official website on Sunday evening, mentioning the lecturer by initials.
The university, however, still cannot confirm Ahmad's exact whereabouts in Boston. UII also does not know why Ahmad flew to Boston instead of Jakarta after arriving in Istanbul. Fathul said UII still could not contact Ahmad to this day.
"UII and [Ahmad's] family members wish that AMRP can immediately inform us of his location and wellbeing. Once AMRP is done with his business in Boston, we hope AMRP can safely return to Indonesia in good health," Fathul said.
"If assistance or pickup is needed, UII will coordinate with the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Indonesian Consulate General in New York."
The National Police on Monday told reporters that Ahmad did not go missing, but only changed his route to the US without informing anyone.
Earlier this month, the UII sent a four-member team, including AMRP and the rector, on a business trip to Norway. The team was taking part in week-long global academic activities at the USN, starting from Feb. 5. The UII team was scheduled to fly back to Indonesia on Feb. 12, although the members were on three separate flights. Ahmad was on his own.
The return trip route was as follows: Oslo-Istanbul-Riyadh-Istanbul-Jakarta, according to "a plan conveyed orally". Fathul said he last saw Ahmad in Oslo on Feb. 11. The latter also sent a WhatsApp text to his wife that he was waiting for the plane to board in the following afternoon.
UII previously reported that it had tracked down Ahmad's digital footprint, which showed that he already made it to Istanbul.
According to Fathul, the 36-year-old lecturer accessed the internet via the university's eduVPN in Istanbul between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. local time on Feb. 12. He also signed out of his Google Drive on Feb. 13 at 3.57 a.m.
The UII has sent a letter to the national central bureau of Interpol in Indonesia to issue a yellow notice for Ahmad to help locate the missing person.
Those who have information on Ahmad's whereabouts can contact UII's public relations department at 0821 3173 7773.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/missing-indonesian-lecturer-detected-in-bosto