Azahari may enter Bali: Pastika

DENPASAR: Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. I Made Mangku Pastika said on Tuesday that the most-wanted fugitive Malaysian Dr. Azahari may reenter Bali in the near future.

"The Malaysian citizen may reenter Bali, either to escape arrest or to plan another attack," he said.

Azahari is believed to have assembled the bombs that rocked two nightspots in Denpasar on Oct. 12, 2002, killing more than 200 people, mostly foreign tourists.

Pastika said the Bali police have increased security, in a bid to prevent possible terrorist attacks.

Police personnel have been deployed to guard the entrance gates to the resort island, including at the Ngurah Rai international airport, Gilimanuk seaport, Celukan Bawang seaport and Padangbai seaport.

"The officers have been equipped with sophisticated devices to detect explosives," he said.

Dr. Azahari has also been named as a suspect of the Marriot bombing in Jakarta this year. -- Antara