24 people held for alleged JI links, Da'i says

24 people held for alleged JI links, Da'i says

Eva C. Komandjaja and Blontank Poer, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Surakarta

National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar confirmed on Friday that
at least 24 people have been arrested for their alleged links
with Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) which has been blamed for a series of
terrorist attacks in Indonesia.

The arrests by the police's antiterror detachment were made,
despite the fact that the government has never declared JI an
outlawed organization in the predominantly-Muslim country.

However, the police have repeatedly said JI was the regional
terror group that masterminded the 2002 Bali attack, the 2003
J.W. Marriott hotel bombing and last year's bomb blast outside
the Australian Embassy in Jakarta.

The United Nations Security Council has included JI in the
list of international terrorist groups affiliated with Osama bin
Laden's al-Qaeda network.

Two Malaysian fugitives Azahari bin Husin and Noordin Mohd.
Top, both senior JI members, are believed to have planned the
bombing. They are still at large and could launch further
attacks, police say.

Speaking after the celebration of the 59th police anniversary
in Cikeas, West Java, Da'i said the 24 suspects were arrested
during raids in Central Java but refused to identify them for
fear that their accomplices would flee.

He promised to give the details of the suspects after seven
days as regulated under the antiterror laws.

However, a police source in Central Java said one of the 24
arrested was identified as Iqbal, who is suspected of being
closely linked to Azahari.

Iqbal was arrested in Wonogiri, Central Java, on Wednesday
afternoon, the source added.

Apart from Iqbal, the owner of the house where he was
apprehended was also detained. He was named as Joko Sumanto. Four
people who worked at Joko's shop -- identified as Anto, Dani
Candra, Gino and Hana, were also nabbed.

Iqbal was one of the police's main targets for his alleged
involvement in the Marriott hotel blast that killed 12 people.

The source also said the police's antiterror detachment also
arrested six people in Masaran, Sragen regency, three in Boyolali
regency, three in Sukoharjo and six others in the neighboring
regencies of Temanggung, Wonosobo and Magelang.

"Twelve of the 24 suspects had prepared to go to the
Philippines," said a senior officer at the Central Java Police
who wished to remain anonymous.

However, the officer could not say whether their planned trip
to the Philippines was aimed at fleeing Indonesia or to join a
military camp in southern Philippines.

Meanwhile, dozens of activists from the Anti-Kidnapping Front
staged a demonstration in front of the Surakarta Police station
on Friday against the recent arrests.

The protesters demanded the release of the 24 people, accusing
the police of violating the Criminal Procedures Code (KUHAP) in
detaining them.

"The police consider Muslim activists enemies of the state,
who should therefore be intimidated and arrested," said protest
coordinator Kholid Saifullah.

Kholid said that none of the arrested people were members of
the Indonesian Mujahidin Assembly (MMI) led by elderly cleric Abu
Bakar Ba'asyir, who was jailed earlier this year over the terror
attacks.

Kholid said there were 11 people from Wonogiri, who were
detained, and not six as claimed by the police.

Surakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Abdul Madjid denied any
knowledge about the reported arrests, saying he would examine
whether there were any local people kidnapped or detained by his
personnel.