Following a high-priority security operation, the object was found to contain only a wooden stick rather than explosives.
The scare began at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time when a security officer at the ITC Kosambi shophouse complex reported a suspicious cardboard box equipped with visible cables.
The object had been placed in front of the Simalungun Protestant Christian Church (GKPS).
Bandung Police Chief, Senior Commissioner Budi Sartono, confirmed that the Gegana Bomb Squad and the Brimob (Mobile Brigade) special operations unit were immediately dispatched to secure the area.
"Upon inspection, the object was found to contain a wooden stick. It is not dangerous and is not an explosive," Sartono stated on Friday.
Police had earlier cordoned off the area with yellow tape and evacuated the immediate vicinity while the bomb squad conducted a controlled assessment of the package.
Despite the object being a hoax, authorities are treating the incident seriously.
Police are currently analyzing CCTV footage and interviewing witnesses to identify the individual responsible for planting the box.
Investigators are also looking into a potential link between the hoax and unidentified cross markings found on the exterior of the church building.
"We are investigating whether there is a connection between these markings and the object placed at the shophouse," Sartono remarked, adding that the motive remains unknown.
Asep Kamaludin, a security officer at the complex, was the first to receive the report from a manager.
Adhering to safety protocols, Kamaludin documented the box—described as a cardboard package with protruding wires—from a distance using his mobile phone before alerting the Sumur Bandung Police.
While the "bomb" proved to be a harmless imitation, the incident has prompted a temporary increase in vigilance around local houses of worship as the investigation continues.
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Translator: Rubby Jovan, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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