Plans for holiday terror attack

Indonesian police briefed reporters on the latest Indonesian terror cell uncovered in Majalengka, West Java, on Nov 30, 2016. ST PHOTO: WAHYUDI SOERIAATMADJA

The latest Indonesian terror cell to be uncovered, this time in Majalengka in West Java, had planned to strike during the December holiday season and had funding from abroad, police said yesterday.

Investigators are now working with Interpol to trace where the money came from. The group had first hatched a plan to build a lab to make shabu-shabu - the local street name for crystal meth, or the synthetic drug, methamphetamine - and sell the drug to raise funds for its terror activities.

The plotters later decided to target the country's Parliament complex, police headquarters, local television stations, as well as the Myanmar embassy in Jakarta.

"The plan somehow changed and they went ahead with making bombs, which they planned to use themselves or sell them to other terror networks that needed them," said the police yesterday.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 01, 2016, with the headline Plans for holiday terror attack. Subscribe