28 Jun 2010

New details revealed about terror cell

1:45 pm on 28 June 2010

Police in Indonesia have revealed new details about a terror cell they are pursuing and the arrest last week of Indonesia's most wanted man.

They have also revealed that a key member of the cell was connected with a convicted terrorist while in prison.

The ABC reports an investigation by Detachment 88, a counter terrorism unit, has highlighted more evidence of how extremists connect with each other inside Indonesia's prisons.

When Abdullah Sunata was captured by Detachment 88 last week they did not just bring in a dangerous fugitive. They also shot and killed an important henchman.

The ABC reports Sunata had been jailed before for supporting the late master terrorist, Noordin Mohammad Top.

But when he was released early for good behaviour, he went back to his old ways and became a key player in a terror cell exposed in Aceh earlier this year. Prison had failed to turn him around.

The other man, Yuli Karsono, was once an officer in Indonesia's armed forces.

Ex-TNI National police spokesman Edward Aritonang says he was drummed out of the military for selling ammunition.

On his release from prison, Yuli Karsono went straight into an active terror network.

Chief forensics officer Brigadier General Budiono says ballistic tests show the gun Yuli fired at the police this week has been matched to the assassination of three officers earlier this year.

Investigators are still trying to discover the details of how Yuli Karsono was influenced by his contacts in prison.

Bomb plots

Meanwhile, the Danish embassy and a large gathering of police this week have been identified as potential targets.

When asked how many bombs were found during this week's raid, the answer was chilling:

"There were many, many unfinished bombs and there were eight units ready to use," Inspector General Aritonang said.

"Police are still looking for others that may been finished and hidden elsewhere."