Indonesia military deploys thousands of troops to boost Jakarta security after generals' arrest

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Nov 4, (AP):  Indonesia’s military is deploying more than 20,000 troops and personnel to the capital, Jakarta, officials said Wednesday as authorities investigate an alleged illegal wiretapping operation targeting the country's president that has led to the detention of three senior police generals.

The alleged wiretapping scandal targeting President Prabowo Subianto has drawn intense scrutiny as it reportedly involves some of Indonesia’s most senior serving police officers.

Among those implicated in the scandal is the current presidential chief of staff, Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo. There are allegations that the country’s president as well as Cabinet officials, politicians, journalists, civil society leaders and business executives were subjected to unauthorized surveillance. Authorities have not confirmed that the deployment is connected to the wiretapping probe.

The first phase of the new military deployment began on Monday with 2,100 personnel from units already stationed in Jakarta. Troops from outside the capital were to start arriving Wednesday, bringing the total number of personnel involved to 20,980, according to the navy operations assistant, Vice Adm. Yayan Sofiyan.

The new deployments include troops from marine and navy units as well as training centers and naval bases from Java and Lampung province. An additional 13,140 personnel have been placed on standby and remain ready for deployment if needed, Sofiyan said.

Sofiyan did not elaborate on the purpose of the deployment or respond to questions about whether there were concerns about security or political tensions in Jakarta amid the wiretapping investigation and the arrests.

Indonesian armed forces spokesperson Maj. Gen. Muhammad Nas said the troop movement was standard procedure for maintaining national security and territorial integrity.

"Troop deployments are a normal occurrence," Nas said, adding that the military "must always be prepared to protect the entire nation and safeguard the integrity of the Republic of Indonesia.”

Late Tuesday, Indonesian police announced in a televised news conference that they had detained three senior police generals as suspects in the investigation into the alleged illegal wiretapping.

Police named Listyo and two other police generals, Ahrie Sonta Nasution and Eko Hadi Santoso, as suspects in a case involving illegal interception of communications, unlawful access to electronic systems and the deletion of electronic data, and said they were detained Sunday.

Police allege the unauthorized wiretapping took place between 2025 and 2026 - during which Listyo was Indonesia's police chief - and that the suspects ordered the wiretaps without following proper procedure.

The suspects are also accused of ordering in late October the deletion of files containing intercepted communications, allegedly in an attempt to conceal evidence and erase traces of the operation. The three suspects could face charges related to unlawful interception, recording, diversion, alteration, obstruction or monitoring of nonpublic electronic communications, which carry up to 10 years in prison.