23 February 2016•Update: 25 February 2016
By Ainur Rohmah
TUBAN, Indonesia
Indonesia’s anti-terror police are investigating four nationals – including one minor – deported from Singapore for allegedly trying to join Daesh in Syria.
A national police spokesperson said Tuesday that Singapore authorities had arrested the suspects at Changi Airport due to “indications” they would join, and had connections with, the extremist group, Tribunnews.com reported.
Inspector Gen Anton Charlian referred to the most notorious Indonesian who has pledged allegiance to Daesh – Aman Abdurrahman – in saying that the suspects “are also familiar with A.A. who currently [is incarcerated] at Nusakambangan Prison."
Charlian added that the four – one of whom is 15-years-old – are being investigated by Detachment 88 to determine any communication between them and Abdurrahman and their possible involvement in violence in Indonesia, which was rocked by a fatal terror attack last month.
Abdurrahman is suspected of having masterminded the Jan. 14 Jakarta bombings despite having been jailed at the high security prison island since 2010 on charges of helping militant training in northern Aceh province.
He claims to be the leader of an umbrella organization of extremist groups supporting Daesh in Indonesia, known as Jemaah Ansar Khilafah Daulah Nusantara (JAKDN).
Abdurrahman is believed to have the ability from behind bars to recruit Indonesians for Daesh and to radicalize other prisoners, including one of the four perpetrators killed in the Jakarta attack.
Police suspect that he and Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian believed to have a prominent role in Daesh in Syria who had previously been imprisoned on terror charges, plotted the series of bombings, which resulted in shootouts, that also killed four civilians.
