TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In the last couple of days, Tangerang residents received a chain of 'terror' through text messages via cellphones from a sender that claimed he/she was a member of the Islamic Nation of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

A number of threats had been made by the 'terrorist', who claimed his origins is from East Lampung. Starting from an airplane bomb at the Soekarno-Hatta airport, until a death threat towards President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

The terror began when a text message delivered from the number 085758905xxx on Wednesday, March 18, in which was written: "Lufthansa aircraft of Jakarta-Berlin route skid off the runway during takeoff at the Soekarno-Hatta airport at 10:25am passengers all dead. Mr Nur Rakhman, Atc Soekarno-Hatta Officer 085758905xxx".

But after the authority went to confirm the text message, the info was discovered to be false report. "The info is unreliable, the source of it is unclear," said Yudis Tiawan, the Manager of Public Relations and Protocol of Soekarno-Hatta Airport. Yudis also confirmed that the info was a hoax.

Commissioner Martinus Sitompul, head of Public Relations of Jakarta Police, stated that the Police is currently investigating the source of the text message. "We are investigating the number," he said to Tempo on Saturday, March 21, 2015.

When the number was being contacted, it sent more text messages, such as: "We will kill all Police forces. Just you wait and see. We, ISIS members, are all sick of you... Jokowi should also die."

Another text message wrote: "We are not fooling around. We, ISIS, will destroy the National Police, Attorney General, and the skinny president. We have declared that drugs destroy our generation, whereas drugs also gave people spirit. If you want to die then just die, not the drugs. As ISIS members, we were named as rebels, but we only recruited people, we also paid them to join us. You acted as if you are self-righteous. Take a look at the corruptors, why are you all still sitting around for."

Another one also wrote: "We have instructed our member to do a preparation to destroy you all. We are from East Lampung, our HQ is in Sumur Kucing, East Lampung."

Mulyadi, a 40-year-old Tangerang resident who also received the text messages, expressed his shock. "The sender of these messages is a complete nutcase," he uttered.

According to Martinus Sitompul, if the culprit has been found, he/she will be subject to criminal act. "We will apprehend the culprit based on Electronic Transaction Information Law," he said.

JONIANSYAH | NINIS CHAIRUNNISA



