Indonesian police round-up more suspects linked to election terror plots, prompting Western embassies to issue travel alerts

On Friday, a bomb-maker known as ‘Mr Beard’ was detained in West Java after six home-made explosive devices were found at his house

His detention takes the total number of terror arrests in the country this month to 31, with 11 bombs also being seized

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Indonesian police escort terror suspects to a news conference in Jakarta on May 17. Photo: AFP

Published: 7:43pm, 19 May 2019Updated: 8:52pm, 19 May 2019

As Indonesian police continue to uncover terrorist plots linked to next week’s announcement of the country’s election results, the United States and Australia have issued travel alerts to their citizens calling on them to exercise a “high degree of caution”.

On Friday, counterterrorism police arrested a parking attendant in Bogor, West Java who had assembled six bombs in his home.

The suspect, known as “E” and “Mr Beard”, is believed to be a member of Firqoh Abu Hamza, a splinter group of the Islamic State-linked Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) that is “far more militant and structured”, according to Indonesian national police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo.

Described as a skilful bomb-maker, the suspect had a laboratory at his home that he used to make bombs from highly explosive triacetone triperoxide, Prasetyo told reporters.

Police officers shows the evidence seized in the arrest of suspected militants during a press conference in Jakarta on May 17. Photo: EPA

He was planning to detonate them on May 22, the day the results of the country’s presidential elections are expected to be announced, near the Election Commission’s offices. He also planned to attack the police.

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