Jakarta. Police dispatch bomb-disposal teams to two international schools in the Greater Jakarta area after both institutions received emailed and WhatsApp extortion threats claiming explosive devices are on site.

The South Tangerang police and the Mobil Brigade bomb squad (Jihandak), part of the Jakarta Metro Police, conducted security sweeps at Nanyang School in Pagedangan, Tangerang Regency, and Mentari Intercultural School in Pondok Aren, South Tangerang. Dozens of armed officers searched school grounds, including classrooms, activity spaces, and parking areas.

During the inspection, teaching and learning activities at both schools were temporarily suspended as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of students and staff.

“We conducted clearance sweeps as part of standard procedures to ensure safety and reassure the public,” South Tangerang police chief Victor Inkiriwang told journalists at the scene. He said the bomb-disposal team found no suspicious items linked to the threats.

Police said the schools received threats via email and WhatsApp. One WhatsApp message, traced to a phone number from Nigeria, demanded $30,000 in bitcoin and warned of an explosion within 45 minutes if the ransom was not paid. Authorities described the sender as an unknown individual and said the messages constituted a criminal terror and extortion attempt.

Investigators have launched a joint inquiry, working with Jakarta Police's cybercrime unit to trace the origin of the messages and identify the perpetrators. Victor said the police will pursue both a criminal investigation and prosecution. “We are looking for who carried out this terror through email and WhatsApp,” he said.

The probe remains active. Police have not yet announced any arrests or identified suspects.

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