Gambling king's house bombed

BATAM, Riau: On the first day of the fasting month, a homemade bomb was lobbed into the house of Thee Kian alias Sutikno, a gambling boss in Tanjungpinang. There were no casualties in the incident.

Witnesses said the bomb was thrown at the three-story house by two motorists at around 4 a.m. exploding minutes later and destroying the front of the house.

Adj. Sr. Comr. Imam Djauhari, chief of the East Riau Police Precinct, said police were still investigating the explosion.

"We have interrogated five witnesses. They did not know the two motorists," he said.

Local people say the explosion was related to the fierce competition among gambling bosses who ignored the local administration's ban on gambling activities during the fasting month.