Indonesia’s military is deploying more than 20,000 troops and personnel to the capital, Jakarta, officials said on Wednesday, as authorities investigate an alleged illegal wiretapping operation targeting President Prabowo Subianto that has led to the detention of three senior police generals.
The total personnel involved will reach 20,980, according to navy operations assistant Vice Admiral Yayan Sofiyan. The first phase began on Monday with 2,100 personnel from units already stationed in Jakarta, with troops from outside the capital due to start arriving on Wednesday. The new deployments include marine and navy units as well as training centres and naval bases from Java and Lampung province. A further 13,140 personnel are on standby and ready for deployment if needed, Sofiyan said.
A crucial limit on what is known: authorities have not confirmed that the deployment is connected to the wiretapping investigation. Indonesian armed forces spokesperson Major General Muhammad Nas said the troop movement was standard procedure for maintaining national security and territorial integrity. This article therefore does not claim the troops were sent because of the scandal — only that the deployment is happening at the same time as the investigation.
The wiretapping case centres on three police generals detained on Sunday and named late on Tuesday at a televised police news conference: Listyo Sigit Prabowo, the president’s chief of staff and former national police chief; Ahrie Sonta Nasution; and Eko Hadi Santoso. Police say the suspects face allegations of illegal interception of communications, unlawful access to electronic systems and the deletion of electronic data. Police allege the unauthorised wiretapping took place between 2025 and 2026, while Listyo was Indonesia’s police chief, and that the suspects ordered the wiretaps without following proper procedure. All of these are allegations, not proven findings.
On Wednesday, President Prabowo dismissed Listyo from his post as presidential chief of staff. The presidential palace said the alleged surveillance of the president could be regarded as conduct leading toward treason, and minister of state secretariat Prasetyo Hadi said the alleged surveillance raised national security concerns. Al Jazeera reports the alleged wiretapping targeted several high-profile individuals, including the president and cabinet ministers.
Why it matters: the case reaches the very top of Indonesia’s security establishment — a former police chief who had become the president’s chief of staff — and it is unfolding alongside a large, visible military movement in the capital. The combination of a senior-level investigation, a dismissal, and a 20,000-plus deployment is what makes this a major political and security story, even though the official link between the deployment and the investigation remains unconfirmed.
What remains unknown: whether investigators will bring formal charges beyond the detentions, what exactly was allegedly intercepted and whose communications were involved, and whether the military deployment will expand beyond the standby figures already announced. Those questions should be answered by official statements and court or police updates, not by speculation.
FAQ: How many troops are being deployed? A total of 20,980 troops and personnel, with 13,140 more on standby. Is the deployment officially linked to the wiretapping probe? No — authorities have not confirmed a link, and the military describes it as standard procedure. Who was detained? Three police generals: Listyo Sigit Prabowo, Ahrie Sonta Nasution and Eko Hadi Santoso, all as suspects in an alleged illegal wiretapping case.
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