The Jakarta Post, January 15, 2006
Police nab four suspected terrorists in Central Java
Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang
The police antiterror squad, Detachment 88, has arrested four suspected terrorists on
Friday; three in Semarang, another in Klaten, both in Central Java.
Police said that those arrested in Semarang had links with the country's most
wanted-terrorist, Noordin M. Top.
In two separate operations in Semarang, the police managed to arrest Joko, Wahyu
and Ardi Wibowo.
Joko and Wahyu were arrested minutes after they finished their Friday prayers at a
mosque on Jl. Singa Dalam, Semarang.
Joko is the owner of a West Sumatran-style restaurant, Selera, not far from the
mosque, while Wahyu worked as an employee at the restaurant.
According to police, Noordin used the restaurant and its second floor as a physical
training space for terrorists.
Meanwhile, Ardi Wibowo, a resident of the Sendang Mulyo housing complex in
Semarang, was arrested in a separate operation on Friday night. Police confiscated a
computer from a house belonging to Ardi's father in Genuk Baru, Semarang.
One of Ardi's siblings, who refused to be named, confirmed Ardi's arrest.
Sugiyanto, one of Ardi's neighbors in the Sendang Mulyo housing complex, described
Ardi as an reclusive resident who was often visited by guests "who mostly had long
beards, and his wife wore a face cover."
Meanwhile, in an operation in Cawas district in Klaten regency, Central Java, police
arrested another suspected terrorist, identified as Aditya.
Friday's arrest followed previous arrests of suspected terrorists in Semarang, including
Dwi Widyarto alias Wiwid and Anif Solchanudin. Anif was arrested while meeting
Cholily, a courier to Azahari bin Husin, who was killed in his hideout in Batu, East
Java.
Nevertheless, the police were still looking for Subur Sugiarto, a suspected terrorist
who managed to escape from Anif's home. All these Semarang terrorists are
suspected to have direct links to Noordin M. Top.
Azahari and his close aide Noordin reportedly masterminded major attacks on
Western targets in Indonesia, including the 2002 Bali blasts, which killed 202 people,
mostly tourists. They were also believed to have played a role in the Oct. 1 Bali
bombings, which killed 23 people, including the three suicide bombers.
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