21 arrested for involvement in Hayam Wuruk Plaza blast

JAKARTA (JP): Police apprehended on early Sunday three men for their alleged involvement in the April 15 bomb blast at Hayam Wuruk Plaza and in the foiled armed robbery at a nearby branch of Bank Central Asia (BCA) in West Jakarta, a high-ranking officer said.

"The three, identified only as D, H, and F, were arrested at three separate locations at about 2 a.m.," Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman said.

"D was arrested in his house in Central Jakarta, H in Padalarang (in West Java) and F in Bekasi," the two-star general said.

From D the police confiscated a magazine for an FN pistol and seven pointed bullets, he said. The gun was believed to be used in the foiled armed robbery during which a bank security guard was killed and the bank branch manager was severely wounded.

D and F are believed to be suspects in the blast at the shopping center, while H was allegedly involved in the robbery, he said.

With the latest three arrests, police have to date apprehended 21 people for suspected involvement in the crimes.

On Friday night, police arrested two suspects, but provided no details about them.

City police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said on Saturday the two people were arrested in Bekasi, east of here.

The police are reportedly still tracing the whereabouts of the group's leader, identified as Amir.

"With the arrest of the two, we're still looking for four more suspects, including the mastermind of the case, Amir," Lubis said.

Police said on Saturday that three other suspects still at large had been identified only as Hen, Fer and Wan, and were believed to have acted as Amir's bodyguards.

Lubis said police hoped they would soon have pictures of the three and could publish their likenesses in the media.

However, no information was available on whether those arrested on Sunday could be Amir's bodyguards. Noegroho declined to explain.

"The suspects were just arrested early this morning (Sunday). We have not questioned them thoroughly so we can't name them. They're just suspected for placing the explosive devices and for the robbery," Noegroho said.

It is believed that about 60 people are listed as Amir's accomplices, but police have repeatedly declined to confirm the exact number of people suspected of being involved in the crimes.

Amir is said to be the leader of Angkatan Mujahiddin Islam Nusantara (AMIN), a group which reportedly provided military- style training to its members in their headquarters -- a secluded, small mosque in Caringin Maseng subdistrict in Bogor -- and planned robberies of several big banks in Jakarta to raise funds for its activities.

Seven of the arrested suspects of the attempted robbery, however, live near the targeted bank.

Police believe Amir and his accomplices are probably hiding in cities where their group has connections, such as in Surakarta and Pekalongan in Central Java, and Lampung, Palembang and Jambi in Sumatra, Lubis said.

"If we could arrest Amir, we would know whether the blast and the robbery is related to the blast in Istiqlal Grand Mosque," Lubis said.

Judging from the similarities in the explosive devices used in the two bombings, police believe the blast at the mosque last Monday was connected to the earlier blast at Hayam Wuruk shopping center, Lubis said.

"The materials and the detonators in the two blasts are similar, but the explosive device at the mosque was bigger than the other one," he said.

He speculated that Amir and his three bodyguards exploded the bombs in offices on the mosque's ground floor to obstruct police investigations into the early robbery attempt.

Two men were arrested at the scene of the failed robbery and two more were arrested the following day at the group's headquarters in Caringin Maseng, Cijeruk district, in Bogor.

"But we cannot reach a final conclusion until we arrest Amir," he said.

He said he also believed that certain people or groups of people had financed Amir's gang's activities, including renting the land in Caringin Maseng.

"Local residents said Amir and his followers and relatives are kind people but slightly mysterious," the officer said.

Investigating the three incidents -- the blast at Hayam Wuruk Plaza, the foiled armed robbery and the powerful explosion on the ground floor of Istiqlal mosque -- have become city police's first priority, Noegroho said.

Jakarta Police have deployed 300 personnel, including police detective and security personnel of certain social political organizations, to hunt down the suspects. (jun/emf)