"Yes, it`s true, this morning at 7 am local time, terror suspect Umar Patek arrived at Halim Perdanakusuma after being deported by Pakistan to Indonesia. He is now being sent the Kelapa Dua police mobile brigade jail," National Police spokesman Inspector General Anton Bachrul Alam said here on Thursday.
The police had taken special security measures ahead of Patek`s arrival because he was an important terrorist figure, Anton said.
Umar Patek was caught in Abbotabad, Pakistan, on January 25, 2011, and deported to Indonesia for violating Pakistan`s immigration law, he said.
The police in cooperation with the National Counter-terrorism Agency (BNPT) and the foreign affairs ministry had previously contacted the Pakistani government to ask for confirmation of reports of the arrest of Umar Patek, a member of Jemaah Islamiyah.
BNPT Chairman Ansyaad Mbai earlier said that Umar Patek, who was wanted in the United States, Australia, and Indonesia on terrorism charges, was flown from Pakistan to Jakarta under tight guard by a Special Anti-terror Detachment team.
"Yes, Umar Patek has arrived in Indonesia," Ansyaad said
without mentioning the day of Umar`s arrival.
Umar Patek is believed to have served as an assistant for the field coordinator of the 2002 bombings in Bali which killed 202 people, mostly Australians and seven Americans.
One of the most wanted Islamic extremists in Southeast Asia, Umar Patek has a US$1 million bounty on his head under the US government`s "Rewards for Justice" program.
Umar Patek alias Abdul Ghoni alias Abu Syeikh alias Umar Arab fled from Indonesia in 2003 with the assistance of Abdullah Sonata and his organization.
Blamed for a series of deadly bombings in Indonesia dating back to 1999, Umar Patek is a suspected member of the Al-Qaeda-linked Southeast Asian terror network Jemaah Islamiyah.
(Uu.F.001/HAJM)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
