Police arrest suspect in nitrate smuggling<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Police in Central Sulawesi have arrested a man suspected of
\ninvolvement in smuggling into the country hundreds of kilograms
\nof ammonium nitrate, a chemical used to make fertilizer that can
\nalso be used to make bombs.<\/p>\n
Police started their search for Husen, 30, after they found
\nabout 250 kilograms of the substance in a car in Palu, Central
\nSulawesi, on Dec. 25, 2002.<\/p>\n
Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Agus Sugianto said on Friday
\nthat Husen was arrested at his house in the village of Balukang,
\nSojol district, regency of Donggala, on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Husen reportedly confessed to police investigators that he had
\nowned the 10 bags of ammonium nitrate seized by police from the
\ncar on Jl. Ketimun, West Palu.<\/p>\n
During questioning, Husen reportedly acknowledged that he
\nbought the material from a dealer at Pangalasiang seaport in
\nDonggala for Rp 150,000 per bag.<\/p>\n
The ammonium nitrate, believed to come from Malaysia, was then
\nreportedly sold to a man named Risman for Rp 280,000 per bag.
\nRisman has also been declared a suspect in the case.<\/p>\n
Husen claimed the ammonium nitrate was to be used to make
\nfertilizer, not bombs. \"We will cross-check his statement,\"
\nSugianto said.<\/p>\n
The ammonium nitrate was discovered after police stopped a
\nKijang pickup for a traffic violation in West Palu. Police
\nchecked its cabin and found 10 bags of ammonium nitrate. The car
\nand its driver Sulaiman were taken to the police station for
\nquestioning.<\/p>\n
Police chief of detectives Adj. Sr. Comr. Ricky Wakanno said
\nthat the two suspects were charged with violating the Agriculture
\nLaw, which bans the distribution of unregistered fertilizer.<\/p>\n
The violation carries a maximum penalty of five years in
\nprison and a Rp 250,000 fine.<\/p>\n
Previously, police in Palu confiscated 17 bags of ammonium
\nnitrate weighing 425 kilograms from a resident in Wani village,
\nTawaeli district, Donggala regency.<\/p>\n
Djamil, the alleged owner, has been declared a suspect and
\ndetained by the police, Antara state news agency reported.<\/p>\n
Ammonium nitrate packaged in bags labeled Matahari has become
\ncommon in Central Sulawesi over the past six years. Many
\nfishermen use it in bomb fishing in Tomini Bay and in the
\nvicinity of the Banggai islands.<\/p>\n
The substance can create a strong explosion if combined with
\nautomotive diesel fuel at a certain temperature.<\/p>\n
The head of the Central Sulawesi Police Detective Unit, Sr.
\nComr. Tantang Sumatri, said on Thursday that local police were
\nlooking for four men suspected of involvement in the smuggling of
\nammonium nitrate.<\/p>\n
\"Four men are on the list of wanted suspects,\" Tantang told
\nAFP.<\/p>\n
He said the four, whom he did not name, were linked to two
\ncases of smuggling involving 675 kilograms of ammonium nitrate
\nfrom Malaysia to Central Sulawesi at the end of last year.<\/p>\n
After the Dec. 25 find, police announced on Dec. 31 that they
\nhad made a second large seizure of ammonium nitrate in the
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
Tantang said the fertilizer was often used to make bombs for
\nfishing but \"with appropriate preparation, it can also be made
\ninto bombs that can take lives.\"<\/p>\n
He said the police were trying to establish whether the
\nchemicals were intended to produce bombs for fishing or for other
\npurposes.<\/p>\n
He said the police had established that the chemicals were
\nsmuggled from the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo
\nisland.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-arrest-suspect-in-nitrate-smuggling-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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