Hundreds of Gun-Shaped Objects Found at South Jakarta School: How Did They Get There?

TheIndonesia.co - The discovery of hundreds of gun-shaped objects at a private school in South Jakarta has raised a number of questions.

A total of 995 objects resembling firearms were found on the premises of the school’s foundation, along with other items reportedly described as narcotics and pornographic VCDs.

The case has drawn particular attention because the objects were found within an educational environment that is supposed to provide a safe space for children.

But several aspects of the case remain under investigation — including who owned the objects, why they were stored there, and whether they were actually connected to the school’s shooting extracurricular activities.

Here is what we know so far.

It began with the dismissal of the foundation’s chairman

The case came to light after the foundation dismissed its former chairman, Indra Wargadalem, also known as IWD, on 18 April 2026.

Untung Sangaji, an adviser to the foundation’s chairman of the board, said IWD was dismissed over alleged misuse of foundation funds for personal purposes, including allegedly using foundation money to purchase land registered in his wife’s name.

“On that basis, we dismissed the chairman, and his wife was also suspended from her position as a member of the board of trustees,” Untung said, as quoted on Monday (10 August 2026).

After his dismissal, IWD was reportedly no longer allowed to enter the foundation’s premises. However, he allegedly retained several keys providing access to rooms he had previously used.

As a result, the foundation was unable to immediately enter those rooms.

After the rooms were forcibly opened, the foundation said it discovered a number of items that subsequently became the subject of a police investigation, including hundreds of gun-shaped objects, alleged narcotics and pornographic VCDs.

The findings were then reported to the police.

What was found?

A total of 995 gun-shaped objects were reportedly discovered.

According to information provided by those involved in the case, the items consisted of 776 air rifles, 215 pistols and four 4.5mm-calibre rifles.

However, police later clarified that the 995 objects were not firearms.

South Jakarta police said the objects should not be classified as firearms.

“We can confirm that the 995 gun-shaped objects are not firearms,” said Iman Imanuddin, director of general criminal investigations at the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, on Monday (10 August).

Police are still investigating who owned the objects and what they were intended for.

“We are investigating the ownership of these items,” Iman said.

The legal status and use of all the objects therefore remain unclear.

Were they intended for shooting extracurricular activities?

Another question concerns why hundreds of gun-shaped objects were being stored on school premises.

Alhadid Endar Putra, president director of PT Lokta Karya Perbakin and lawyer for the school foundation's former chairman, said the objects belonged to PT Lokta Karya Perbakin.

He said the objects were legal and covered by a permit issued by the police.

“Yes, they belong to Lokta and they are legal,” Alhadid said.

He claimed the 995 objects were stock intended to support planned shooting and archery extracurricular activities at the school.

According to Alhadid, the plan had been known since 2021 by General Suryo, who was then a member of the foundation's board of trustees and has since died.

Alhadid also said that most of the objects could no longer be used and were spare parts.

“All 995 are airsoft guns that can no longer be used and are legal. Most of them are also spare parts,” he said.

Police, however, have not confirmed this account.

AKP Joko Adi Wibowo, head of public relations at the South Jakarta Metropolitan Police, denied that the objects were linked to students' extracurricular activities.

“Oh no. I don't think they are related to extracurricular activities,” Joko said on Friday (7 August).

Police have yet to establish what the objects were actually being used for.

“We cannot say at this point. We will investigate it further,” he said.

Ownership is still being investigated

Police are also examining documents relating to ownership of the objects.

Joko said investigators were reviewing documents and other items found at the site.

“We will look further into the documents and the findings at the location,” he said.

PT Lokta Karya Perbakin, meanwhile, maintains that the objects belong to the company.

Alhadid said the storage room had been under the control of another party since April, preventing the company from accessing it.

He said PT Lokta staff were only asked to collect the items at the end of July. When they arrived, however, the room had already been opened and police and military personnel were present.

The conflicting accounts over who controlled the storage area are among the issues that investigators will need to clarify.

Another locked room described as a bunker

The investigation does not end with the room where the 995 objects were found.

Hermawanto, a lawyer representing the foundation, said there was another room resembling a bunker that remained locked.

“There is still a room like a bunker that is tightly locked. We cannot get inside,” Hermawanto said.

The foundation has asked police to help open the room and determine what is inside.

“We will also ask the authorities to help us open this room because we are concerned there could be legal risks. So we are asking the authorities to open it,” he said.

According to Hermawanto, IWD had been the foundation's chairman for around 15 years and was known to be a private person. Access to his rooms was reportedly limited to IWD and people close to him.

What are the rules on storing air rifles?

The discovery has also raised questions about regulations governing the ownership and storage of air rifles and similar weapons.

Budi Hermanto, head of public relations at the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, said owners and importers of air rifles must comply with specific storage requirements.

He referred to Police Regulation No. 1 of 2022.

“The owner of the air rifles found there must report the storage location to the police,” Budi said at Jakarta Metropolitan Police headquarters on Friday.

According to Budi, violations can result in administrative sanctions, including the revocation of an import licence.

One of the questions investigators will therefore need to establish is whether the location where the 995 objects were stored complied with the applicable regulations.

Why has this become an education issue?

Beyond questions of legality and ownership, the presence of hundreds of gun-shaped objects at a school raises a broader question: how can educational institutions ensure that their premises remain safe for students?

Ubaid Matraji, national coordinator of the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI), said the case should not be viewed simply as an isolated incident at one school. In his view, it also raises questions about education governance.

“Schools should be the safest spaces for children. If weapons, ammunition and drugs can enter a school, the failure is not limited to one school. Our education monitoring system is also being exposed,” Ubaid said.

He argued that the presence of the objects should be examined from the perspective of security and institutional governance, not simply their legal status.

He questioned how school principals, foundations, education authorities, supervisors and internal security systems could have failed to detect potentially dangerous items on school premises.

“We must not end up with schools that are very strict about uniforms, haircuts, shoes and lateness, but fail to detect weapons and drugs within their own premises. That is a major irony in our education system,” he said.

Ubaid also said that claims that the objects were intended for shooting extracurricular activities would not, by themselves, resolve the governance concerns.

“This is not simply an extracurricular issue, but a serious failure of school governance and oversight,” he said.

School switches to remote learning

The school has temporarily moved classes online following the discovery of the gun-shaped objects.

Alvon Kurnia Parma, a lawyer representing the school foundation, said the decision was made to protect students.

“To ensure the safety of the children, the school is temporarily implementing distance learning,” Alvon said.

While remote learning is in place, the school has asked police to carry out a security sweep of the premises.

The school has also communicated with the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) and plans to hold further discussions about the incident.

Ultimately, the case is not only about the discovery of 995 gun-shaped objects. It is also about how those objects came to be stored on school premises, who was responsible for them, and whether the systems in place were sufficient to protect children's safety.