Indonesian authorities have apprehended Yudi Lukito Kurniawan, a man suspected of plotting a terrorist attack on the Singapore Exchange back in 2014. The arrest took place on August 21 in a Gorontalo village located on Sulawesi Island, according to a statement from Detachment 88, the country’s counter-terrorism unit. Senior Commissioner Aswin Siregar from Detachment 88 confirmed that Kurniawan, identified by the initials YLK, has ties to the terrorist group Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

The allegations against Kurniawan suggest that he was set to execute an attack on the Singapore Exchange under the direction from AQAP. However, further specifics surrounding his planned method of attack have not been disclosed. Aswin reported that Kurniawan has undergone various terrorism training sessions, including participation in one organized by the terror group Jemaah Islamiyah in East Java in 2001.

YLK has a prior criminal background; he was initially arrested in 2003 for holding firearms that had been given to him for safekeeping by a convicted individual known for involvement in the Bali bombings. Following that, he joined Jemaah Anshorut Tauhid, a splinter faction of JI, and notably traveled to Yemen in 2012, presumably to further the AQAP agenda. There, Kurniawan claimed to have received instructions from a senior AQAP figure to target the Singapore Exchange.

In 2015, YLK attempted to gain entry into Singapore by sea but was turned away and sent back to Batam. Upon his arrest, authorities discovered a passport issued in his name along with a Singapore immigration inspection document, which is being further investigated. This arrest comes shortly after the declaration of Jemaah Islamiyah's dissolution by its leaders in late June, although experts warn that the threat of terrorism persists, with other groups remaining active in the area. Recently, Detachment 88 thwarted a separate suicide bombing plot led by a teenager linked to the Islamic State, highlighting ongoing concerns about terrorism in Indonesia.