Money thought to be funding terrorism networks has been detected flowing from Australia into Indonesia, authorities say.
“We do have a significant amount of funds coming from Australia. We suspect it to be supporting terrorism in Indonesia,” said Indonesia’s Financial Transactions and Analysis Centre (PPATK) deputy head, Agus Santoso.
“Not specifically ISIS (Islamic State militants), because there are many organisations,” he said.
Mr Santoso would not say how much money was being transferred, or by whom.
Local media has reported that the money was supporting organisations linked to IS militants, but Mr Santoso has denied that the link could be made.
Mr Santoso said Indonesian authorities were working closely with the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) to track the money.
Meanwhile, concern is mounting in the country over the number of people leaving the country to fight with IS militants and other groups in Iraq and Syria, with experts called to a conference on how to tackle IS and terrorism.
Singapore-based terrorism researcher from the University of Nanyang, professor Rohan Gunaratna, said there were about 18 Indonesian terrorist groups with links, or sworn allegiances, to IS.
One of those is the offshoot of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), which was responsible for the Bali bombings and led by the radical Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir.
Bashir, who is the spiritual leader of another terrorist organisation he founded called Jemaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT), has sworn allegiance to IS militants.
He is currently in prison on Nusa Kambangan, the island where convicted Australian drug smugglers Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan are awaiting execution.
Source: www.abc.net.au
