Families Recount Police's Action in Arresting Terror Suspects

Three women are giving testimonies in Banda Aceh -- MAIMUN PHOTO

Banda Aceh, TAG – The families of three men that arrested allegedly linked to terror bombing attempt suspects on Thursday recounted the police’s behaviour in arresting their love ones.

The testimony facilitated by Banda Aceh chapter of Legal Aid Institute (LBH) which has been appointed as legal advisor to the three arrested in north Aceh district earlier Saturday.

Nurafni Zahara, the wife of Jamaluddin aka Deugok, said that on the day, two people knocked their house’s door. She opened it. The guest asked where was her husband. She answered she didn’t know as she did’nt see her husband’s returning home because she went sleep early that night.

“Five minutes later, five gunmen forcibly arrested him and tied his hands with a phone cord,” Nurafni revealled. Then the gunmen wearing waistcoat written “POLISI” on the back interrogated Deugok in the house.

“Where’re you keeping rice,” they asked in Acehnese language. “What’s rice, Deugok replied. “Where are you hiding the ‘boh rom-rom’, the asked again. “What’s boh rom-rom,” he answered flutterly. Later, Nurafni knew that “rice” is a codename for ammunition as the ‘boh rom-rom’ for grenades.

However, the policemen didn’t find what they were searching for. “Then, they dragged, kicking and hitting Deugok in front of my eyes. He dragged into his car,” she said.

Seeing his husband without clothes, she ran into Deugok, but police precisely avoid her. A policemen asked Nurafni to get out of the car. ‘It’s enough, ask his wife to get out the car. Don’t coddle the traitor,’ a police said as explained by Nurafni.

Deugok is one of the six men arrested by police forces in two separated places in Aceh Besar and north Aceh districts earlier Saturday. Deugok and the two arrested in north Aceh believed to be former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) fighters.

At the same time, police also arrested Muhammad Sulaiman aka Ulee Bara, 31, dan Usria, 24.

"We’re very surprised as heard the door break. My husband immediately went upstairs to see who was coming, "said Rahmi, Ulee Bara's wife. "But they were so fast moving and immediately arrested my husband."

According to Rahmi, the policemen who arresting her husband ransacked their house and broke cupboard’s glass. I was very upset because they came without any permission. They destroy my house, car, phone though they did not bring an arrest warrant,” she said.

Zubaidah, Usria’s sister, also recounted the same story as Nurafni and Rahmi during the press conference in the provincial capital Banda Aceh’ cafe.

Previously, Aceh police chief Ins. Gen. Iskandar Hasan said police arrested six people in a foiled a bombing attempt in Lhoong, Aceh Besar, and seized the five low-explosive bombs that were to be used in the attack.

Iskandar declined to disclose which terrorist group, if any, the six people were linked to. “I was hoping the terrorists were not from Aceh, but they turned out to be our brothers from Aceh,” he told journalist on Monday.

Police made the move after receiving information about three people bringing five assembled bombs in a car in Aceh Besar’s Lhoong sub-district. “They were heading west with the assembled bombs,” Iskandar said.

Although they were low explosives, he added, the bombs were still dangerous. “These bombs did not explode because we managed to arrest the perpetrators before they were planted. We can imagine [what would have happened] if they exploded,” he said.[]