Indonesia's most wanted terrorist Abu Tholut captured

Indonesia's most wanted terrorist Abu Tholut captured

2010-12-11 03:32:53 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- Abut Tholut, one of Indonesia's most wanted terrorists, was arrested by the Densus 88 National Police anti-terror unit in central Java on Friday, the Jakarta Globe reported.

Tholut, also known as Mustafa, was arrested at around 8.30 a.m. local time at his house in the Bae sub district of Kudus in central Java. He will be transported to Jakarta for further questioning.

"He was arrested in his bedroom. He had an FN gun in his possession and several plastic bags full of bullets," said Central Java Police spokesman Commander Djihartono, according to the Jakarta Globe.

The suspected terrorist was known in his neighborhood as Imron and lived along his wife and seven children. Tholut has reportedly lived in the area for about three years.

Tholut is believed to have been the field leader of the August armed robbery of the CIMB bank in Medan, North Sumatra. The incident left one police officer killed and two security guards seriously injured. He is also suspected of leading a series of other violent robberies in the surrounding areas.

Authorities said that the robberies were perpetrated in order to raise funds for an armed group that conducts military training in an Aceh forest. The training camp was organized by Tholut and is believed to be planning Mumbai-style terror attacks.

House law commission lawmaker Ahmad Basarah of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said the recent terrorist suspect arrest would not prevent the terrorist group from orchestrating another terrorist attack.

"We still face the same threats to this date. Therefore, it has been obvious that arresting and gunning those perpetrators will not solve the problem. The government is required to use other perspectives as well in tackling the problem," said Basarah.

In 2004, Tholut was convicted for possession of explosives by a Jakarta court but only served three years of his seven-year prison sentence, as he was released for good behavior in 2007.

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