inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Indonesian National Police (INP) Special Detachment (Densus) 88 Anti-Terror (AT) Unit held the 2026 Technical Working Meeting on May 18–20, 2026, as a step to strengthen the national strategy in addressing the evolving threat of violent extremism and terrorism in the digital era.
This meeting focused on strengthening collaborative and adaptive approaches to addressing increasingly complex new threat patterns, one of which targets children and adolescents through cyberspace.
Densus 88 AT spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Mayndra Eka Wardhana, stated that advances in information technology have changed the spread of extremism.
It is no longer confined to conventional ideological networks, but has now evolved into new forms such as non-coherent extremism and nihilistic violent extremism, which utilize social media, digital platforms, and even online games as a medium for spreading violent influence.
"Extremist groups are currently utilizing digital spaces for recruitment, grooming, propaganda, and even normalizing violence among vulnerable young people," said Mayndra on Tuesday (May 19, 2026).
At the opening ceremony, INP Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo saw the Milestone Wall, which depicts the journey of counterterrorism in Indonesia, from the emergence of the DI/TII movement, the development of the Jemaah Islamiyah network, the first Bali Bombing, to the achievements of Densus 88 AT Polri in maintaining a zero terrorist attack record from 2023 to 2025.
The working meeting, attended by approximately 670 participants, also discussed the rising exposure to radicalism and violence against children in several regions of Indonesia.
According to 2026 data, 132 children were exposed to radicalism and 115 children exposed to violent ideologies. This resulted in joint interventions between Densus 88 AT Polri, regional police, local governments, and various relevant stakeholders.
Some cases were identified as being linked to digital communities, such as the True Crime Community (TCC), which is considered to have the potential to escalate into actual violence.
According to him, in addition to strengthening preemptive, preventive, and repressive measures, the National Working Meeting also emphasized strengthening digital literacy, early detection in schools and families, and optimizing national preparedness through the Aman Nusa III contingency plan.
In his remarks, the INP Chief expressed his appreciation for the performance of Densus 88 AT Polri, which has successfully maintained national security stability by maintaining a zero-terrorism record for nearly three years.
This achievement is considered to have contributed to increasing public trust, maintaining investment stability, and supporting various national and international strategic agendas.
General Sigit also highlighted new challenges in the form of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by extremist groups for automated radicalization, the spread of "salad bar" ideology, and the gamification of violence through online platforms that target vulnerable groups, including women and children.
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