Operasi Intelijen Indonesia di Balik Pembebasan Kapal MV Sinar Kudus di Somalia | Brigade Podcast

Indonesia has a history of conducting covert intelligence operations on the African continent. One of the most notable results of this intelligence operation was the release of the MV Sinar Kudus, hijacked by Somali pirates in March 2011. The Indonesian government then deployed a joint force consisting of elite Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) troops. After 46 days, the Indonesian military finally succeeded in freeing the ship and the 20 Indonesian citizens held hostage. This success was largely due to the role of Major General (Ret.) Victor Hasudungan Simatupang, who at the time served as Defense Attaché to South Africa with the rank of colonel. Victor worked covertly after receiving orders from the TNI's Strategic Intelligence Agency (Bais) to gather technical information. Victor then met with several networks, including British, French, and United States intelligence, to obtain technical data on the location of the pirates, the MV Sinar Kudus, and the hostages. The operation yielded results, successfully obtaining highly accurate and crucial data. This data was later cited as one of the guidelines for the special forces during the operation to free the MV Sinar Kudus.