January 17, 2026 | 02:04 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A member of the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) of the Aceh Regional Police, Second Brigadier Muhammad Rio, deserted and became a mercenary soldier in Russia. Currently, he is suspected to be in the Donbass region and has joined the forces in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The Head of Public Relations of the Aceh Regional Police, Commissioner Joko Krisdiyanto, stated that Rio deserted by leaving his duty without permission from the unit. "Regarding his absence from duty, we have made efforts to search for and summon him," said Joko in his written statement on Saturday, January 17, 2026.
According to Joko, since Monday, December 8, 2025, Rio has been absent from duty without a clear explanation. However, on Wednesday, December 7, 2025, he sent a WhatsApp message to one of the Brimob members. The message contained documentation that he had joined the Russian mercenary forces.
The Aceh Regional Police have obtained several pieces of evidence, such as a passport and travel ticket history. Rio was recorded as having flown from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to Pudong International Airport in Shanghai on December 18, 2025. Then a flight to Meilan International Airport, Haikou, on December 19, 2025.
Prior to joining the mercenary forces in Russia, Rio had a history of violating the code of ethics. His ethical violations included having extramarital affairs and engaging in an unofficial marriage. Rio had undergone a professional disciplinary hearing. The Indonesian National Police Commission on Ethics (KKEP) imposed sanctions on him, demoting him for two years and assigning him to the Brimob Headquarters Service.
Subsequently, the Aceh Regional Police held another KKEP hearing regarding Rio's desertion violation. The first KKEP hearing was held on Thursday, January 8, 2026, in absentia without Rio's presence. The second KKEP hearing, held on Friday, January 9, 2026, resulted in a decision of dishonorable discharge.
Read: Russian Ambassador Denies Recruiting Ex-Indonesian Navy Officer as Mercenary
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