Explosives easy to obtain: Companies<\/p>\n
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Looking for a bomb? With the lack of control exercised by the
\ngovernment over the import and use of explosives, it might not be
\ndifficult to obtain this dangerous good.<\/p>\n
Experts on explosives said that so far the country had no
\nstandard procedure or system for the audit and control of
\nmanufactured explosives, imported and distributed by the existing
\nlicensed companies.<\/p>\n
\"Our inventory of explosives has never been audited by the
\ngovernment,\" Timbul Sitompul, spokesman for state-owned military
\nexplosive company PT Pindad, told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Timbul added that manufacturers of explosives were not
\nresponsible for the bomb's misuse after it was purchased by a
\ncustomer. Control should be carried out by the National Police
\nand the Ministry of Defense, he said.<\/p>\n
Pindad specializes in providing military explosives for the
\nmilitary. The company, based in Bandung, West Java, manufactures
\nand stores its explosives in Malang, East Java.<\/p>\n
The company came under fire when an explosive bearing its name
\nwas found at the blast site of the Attorney General's Office in
\nJakarta in July 2000.<\/p>\n
The lack of control over explosives has also been acknowledged
\nby an executive at another state-owned explosive company, PT
\nDahana, which is allowed to sell explosives to the public.<\/p>\n
Dahana, which was established in 1966, once had its inventory
\naudited by a government team in November 2001, but Harry
\nSampurna, the finance and business development director for the
\ncompany, said the audit was \"unclear\" and the results had so far
\nnot been unveiled.<\/p>\n
\"Aside from the audit system, I am concerned about private
\nfirms that have been licensed to engage in the explosives
\nbusiness. Some say that the companies don't even have an office,
\njust a telephone and fax machine,\" said Harry.<\/p>\n
An expert on explosives, who asked for anonymity, said that
\none of these licensed private companies offers to obtain a
\nlicense to import and distribute explosives for any interested
\nparties.<\/p>\n
The expert refused to name the company in question.<\/p>\n
The expert further said that given the absence of control by
\nthe government, a buyer could ask these suppliers, which do not
\nhave an address, to import or even smuggle explosives into the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
The expert said that until 2001, all imported explosives could
\nbe brought into the country without clearing customs since
\nexplosives were considered, at that time, a strategic good that
\nwas duty free.<\/p>\n
The expert said he believed that a lot of explosives and
\nfirearms were smuggled into the country by and with the help of
\nlicensed private explosives companies until 2001.<\/p>\n
The government has granted business licenses to nine firms.<\/p>\n
Until 1999, there were only five companies licensed to conduct
\nbusiness in explosives: Pindad and Dahana, PT Multi Nitrotama
\nKimia, PT Tridaya Esta and PT Armindo Prima.<\/p>\n
Industry sources said that Multi Nitrotama was partly owned by
\nHutomo \"Tommy\" Mandalaputra, the youngest son of former president
\nSoeharto, who is serving time in jail for murder. Multi Nitrotama
\nand Dahana are the only companies in the country which own a
\nlicense to produce ammonium nitrate-based explosives.<\/p>\n
Industry sources said Tridaya Esta was owned by, among others,
\nSoeharto's second son Bambang Trihatmodjo.<\/p>\n
After 1999, the government granted licenses to another four
\ncompanies, PT Nitro Selulosa, PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur, PT
\nTrivita and PT Asah Karya.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/explosives-easy-to-obtain-companies-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}