Yovanda Noni, Antara, Samarinda – Twenty-two students from Mulawarman University, East Kalimantan, were caught making dozens of Molotov cocktails that were allegedly intended for use in a protest scheduled for Monday.
A total of 27 Molotov cocktails were discovered on the grounds of the Faculty of Education at Mulawarman University, Jalan Banggeris, Samarinda, on Sunday. Four students have been identified as the makers and have officially been named suspects.
At a press conference held by the Samarinda City Police, authorities said the arrests were carried out at around 2:00 a.m. local time. The operation was the result of intelligence work to ensure public safety ahead of the planned demonstration at the East Kalimantan Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) building.
Samarinda Police Chief Hendri Umar said that 18 of the detained students are still under investigation, while four others are undergoing further questioning.
"Of the 22 individuals we apprehended last night, four – with the initials MZ, FK, MAG, and AR – are being processed further as they are strongly suspected of knowing about and being directly involved in making the Molotov cocktails," Hendri said.
The discovery began with intelligence reports indicating preparations for anarchist actions during the upcoming protest. Acting on this information, a joint team from the Samarinda Police and the National Armed Forces raided a student secretariat at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Mulawarman University, on Jalan Banggeris. Officers found 22 students along with evidence consisting of 27 ready-to-use Molotov cocktails. In addition, they seized remaining materials, including a jerrycan of Pertamax fuel, rolls of cloth strips intended as wicks, and scissors.
The four suspects each played different roles. "Some were responsible for transporting raw materials by motorcycle, others cut cloth for wicks, while others assembled the bottles into ready-to-use bombs," Hendri explained.
Meanwhile, 18 other students detained during Sunday night's raid have since been released after initial interrogation. The police coordinated with Mulawarman University's Vice Rector III regarding their return.
"After interrogation, these 18 students were found not to be directly involved in the making or storage of the bombs, so we handed them back to the university," he added.
Hendri stressed that the investigation into the Molotov case would be carried out transparently and fairly. He underlined that the act was committed by a small group of individuals and did not represent the student movement as a whole.
The police remain committed to ensuring humane security measures during protests and to safeguarding freedom of expression in an orderly and peaceful manner without anarchic actions, he said.
For context, the Mahakam Alliance, a coalition of students and civil society groups, staged a demonstration in front of the East Kalimantan DPRD office on Monday afternoon. Calls to join the protest had circulated on social media since August 30, and the alliance had been collecting donations such as bottled water and snacks for demonstrators since August 31.