At present, we have named 23 individuals as suspects
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Police have named 23 suspects in the ongoing investigation into pro-caliphate group Khilafatul Muslimin in several cities, including the organization’s head, Abdul Qadir Hasan Baraja.



"At present, we have named 23 individuals as suspects," Indonesian Police's public information bureau head, Brigadier General Ahmad Ramadhan, said here on Tuesday.



While he did not reveal the roles that each suspect played in the organization, he disclosed that some of the individuals were leaders of the group.



The 23 suspects were arrested in different regions, Ramadhan said. Police forces in Central Java, West Java, and Lampung arrested five individuals each, while East Java police apprehended one individual, he added.

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"Another five suspects were incarcerated by the Jakarta Police," he said.



The Khilafatul Muslimin members will be charged under Article 14 and/or 15 of Law No. 1 of 1946 on Criminal Law Regulation and Law No. 17 of 2017 on Mass Organization, he informed.



"The Police's Special Detachment 88 is also monitoring and providing assistance to regional police forces taking action against violations (perpetrated by the group)," Ramadhan said.

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Police officials are probing the suspected intent of the Khilafatul Muslimin group to disseminate false information and teach values contradicting the national ideology, Pancasila, he informed.



"For instance, the ongoing investigation (conducted) by Central Java Police is to probe the group's past convoy and distribution of pamphlets and flyers (propagating the group's ideas)," the bureau head said.



Police investigators are also probing information about some schools affiliated with the group that are suspected of teaching values in contradiction with Pancasila to pupils, he added.



"The information is being handled by the Jakarta Police and we will inquire (about the investigation progress) later. We have heard that there are 30 schools, and we will examine those Khilafatul Muslimin-affiliated schools suspected of propagating pro-caliphate doctrines," Ramadhan said.


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Translator: Laily Rahmawaty, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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