Three years ago, the Police came very close to arresting Sheik Abdus Salam Panji Gumilang, the suspected leader of the so-called Islamic State of Indonesia or NII. Through its Operation Kresna, the National Police had gathered enough evidence on the imam who heads the Al-Zaytun Islamic boarding school, on his alleged insurgency activities. But the operation fell by the wayside. Panji Gumilang seems to carry an invisible protective aura, for he remains free, continuing to build the luxurious surroundings of Al-Zaytun in Indramayu. Tempo traces the political interest in the imam, and the role of the intelligence forces in this controversial figure.