Member of House Commission III, Surahman Hidayat. Photo: doc/vel

PARLEMENTARIA, Jakarta – Surahman Hidayat, Member of House Commission III overseeing law enforcement, expressed his appreciation to the National Police’s Counterterrorism Special Detachment 88 (Densus 88), for the swift response in investigating a bomb threat on Saudi Airlines flight SV-5726 transporting Indonesia Hajj pilgrims from Jeddah to Jakarta.

Saudi Airlines SV-5726 was forced to make an emergency landing in Kualanamu Airport, North Sumatera, due to a bomb threat sent by email, written in English. The perpetrator allegedly sent the email from abroad, possibly India.

“I appreciate the work of the North Sumatera Mobile Brigade bomb squad in inspecting Saudi Airlines flight SV-5726, that made an emergency landing in Kualanamu, and for securing the area in coordination with personnel from the Indonesian Military – Bukit Barisan Regional Command (Kodam I) and the Air Force.”  said Surahman in a written statement received by Parlementaria in Jakarta on Sunday (June 22, 2025).

The joint team quickly swept thoroughly all parts of the aircraft, including the cabin, cargo hold, and all transported items. The search found no explosive or anything suspicious, and the situation was declared safe,”

Surahman argued that under Indonesian law, a bomb threat on the plane, whether it was real or false, is a serious offence that can be classified as acts of terrorism. Under Law Number 5/2018 on Anti-Terrorism, any threat of violence that triggers widespread fear to vital objects such as airplanes and airports can be considered as terrorism. Even if the bomb is not real, the intent and its resulting impact still fall within this category.

The lawmaker from West Java Electoral District X, which includes Ciamis, Pangandaran, Kuningan, Banjar City, also noted that Article 437 of Law No.1/2009 on Aviation states that anyone who spreads false information that  endangers flight safety may face up to 8 years in prison.

Moreover, in the Law No. 1 of 2023 on the new Criminal Code stipulates in Article 600 that spreading false information about bomb threats on aircraft is punishable as it disrupts public order and threatens national security.

“Even though the threat was sent via email and turned out to be a hoax, the perpetrator could still face serious legal consequences. Especially if an ideological or political motive is proven, a matter that Densus 88 is still investigating,” said the Politician of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

Surahman also commended Densus 88 for its swift coordination with Saudi Arabia authorities as well as Interpol to track down the perpetrator behind the bomb threat directed at flight SV-5726, which was carrying Indonesian Hajj pilgrims from Group 12 of Jakarta-Bekasi (JKS) embarkation. He called it a positive step, as the targeted aircraft is owned by Saudi Arabia operating within Indonesia territory at the time.

“I urge the National Police to conduct a thorough investigation into this case. It must not be underestimated, as it involvess the safety of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims and the credibility of our national security system. Densus 88 and related parties must get to the bottom of this, identifying the perpetrator, uncovering their motives, and determining whether any organization network was involved,” said Surahman.

Surahman also noted that the initial analysis suggesting the email may have originated from India should be investigated. The IP address may not always reflect the actual real location of the sender.

“The perpetrator could easily hide their actual location by using VPN or proxy server from another country, for example, by rerouting the connection through India. By using email spoofing or relay servers, the message may be sent from a third-party server, or disguised to hide its true origin,” he explained.

He further explained that, in extreme cases, the perpetrator might use a botnet connection, a network of malware-infected computers to conceal their identity. This way can mislead investigators by directing the digital trail to unsuspecting third party with no involvement.