21 arrested for involvement in Hayam Wuruk Plaza blast<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Police apprehended on early Sunday three men for
\ntheir alleged involvement in the April 15 bomb blast at Hayam
\nWuruk Plaza and in the foiled armed robbery at a nearby branch of
\nBank Central Asia (BCA) in West Jakarta, a high-ranking officer
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"The three, identified only as D, H, and F, were arrested at
\nthree separate locations at about 2 a.m.,\" Jakarta Police chief
\nMaj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman said.<\/p>\n
\"D was arrested in his house in Central Jakarta, H in
\nPadalarang (in West Java) and F in Bekasi,\" the two-star general
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
From D the police confiscated a magazine for an FN pistol and
\nseven pointed bullets, he said. The gun was believed to be used
\nin the foiled armed robbery during which a bank security guard
\nwas killed and the bank branch manager was severely wounded.<\/p>\n
D and F are believed to be suspects in the blast at the
\nshopping center, while H was allegedly involved in the robbery,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
With the latest three arrests, police have to date apprehended
\n21 people for suspected involvement in the crimes.<\/p>\n
On Friday night, police arrested two suspects, but provided no
\ndetails about them.<\/p>\n
City police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said on Saturday
\nthe two people were arrested in Bekasi, east of here.<\/p>\n
The police are reportedly still tracing the whereabouts of the
\ngroup's leader, identified as Amir.<\/p>\n
\"With the arrest of the two, we're still looking for four more
\nsuspects, including the mastermind of the case, Amir,\" Lubis
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Police said on Saturday that three other suspects still at
\nlarge had been identified only as Hen, Fer and Wan, and were
\nbelieved to have acted as Amir's bodyguards.<\/p>\n
Lubis said police hoped they would soon have pictures of the
\nthree and could publish their likenesses in the media.<\/p>\n
However, no information was available on whether those
\narrested on Sunday could be Amir's bodyguards. Noegroho declined
\nto explain.<\/p>\n
\"The suspects were just arrested early this morning (Sunday).
\nWe have not questioned them thoroughly so we can't name them.
\nThey're just suspected for placing the explosive devices and for
\nthe robbery,\" Noegroho said.<\/p>\n
It is believed that about 60 people are listed as Amir's
\naccomplices, but police have repeatedly declined to confirm the
\nexact number of people suspected of being involved in the crimes.<\/p>\n
Amir is said to be the leader of Angkatan Mujahiddin Islam
\nNusantara (AMIN), a group which reportedly provided military-
\nstyle training to its members in their headquarters -- a
\nsecluded, small mosque in Caringin Maseng subdistrict in Bogor --
\nand planned robberies of several big banks in Jakarta to raise
\nfunds for its activities.<\/p>\n
Seven of the arrested suspects of the attempted robbery,
\nhowever, live near the targeted bank.<\/p>\n
Police believe Amir and his accomplices are probably hiding in
\ncities where their group has connections, such as in Surakarta
\nand Pekalongan in Central Java, and Lampung, Palembang and Jambi
\nin Sumatra, Lubis said.<\/p>\n
\"If we could arrest Amir, we would know whether the blast and
\nthe robbery is related to the blast in Istiqlal Grand Mosque,\"
\nLubis said.<\/p>\n
Judging from the similarities in the explosive devices used in
\nthe two bombings, police believe the blast at the mosque last
\nMonday was connected to the earlier blast at Hayam Wuruk shopping
\ncenter, Lubis said.<\/p>\n
\"The materials and the detonators in the two blasts are
\nsimilar, but the explosive device at the mosque was bigger than
\nthe other one,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He speculated that Amir and his three bodyguards exploded the
\nbombs in offices on the mosque's ground floor to obstruct police
\ninvestigations into the early robbery attempt.<\/p>\n
Two men were arrested at the scene of the failed robbery and
\ntwo more were arrested the following day at the group's
\nheadquarters in Caringin Maseng, Cijeruk district, in Bogor.<\/p>\n
\"But we cannot reach a final conclusion until we arrest Amir,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
He said he also believed that certain people or groups of
\npeople had financed Amir's gang's activities, including renting
\nthe land in Caringin Maseng.<\/p>\n
\"Local residents said Amir and his followers and relatives are
\nkind people but slightly mysterious,\" the officer said.<\/p>\n
Investigating the three incidents -- the blast at Hayam Wuruk
\nPlaza, the foiled armed robbery and the powerful explosion on the
\nground floor of Istiqlal mosque -- have become city police's
\nfirst priority, Noegroho said.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police have deployed 300 personnel, including police
\ndetective and security personnel of certain social political
\norganizations, to hunt down the suspects. (jun\/emf)<\/p>",
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