Homemade explosives confiscated

JAKARTA (JP): The city police have arrested six people for their alleged involvement in the production of homemade explosives at a house in Bogor's Caringin district, a source said on Thursday.

The source said police confiscated three explosive devices from the suspects.

The source close to the investigation said the chemical ingredients of the explosives were similar to the bomb which exploded at the Bank Central Asia (BCA) automatic teller machine in Atrium Senen, Central Jakarta, on Dec. 11, last year.

"No trinitrotoluene (TNT) was found in the homemade bombs," the source said.

The six people, whose identities were not disclosed, are being held for questioning at Jakarta Police Headquarters.

The police were reportedly looking for a connection with those responsible for the recent blast at Hayam Wuruk Plaza and the powerful explosion on the ground floor of Istiqlal Grand Mosque.

Police are searching for a man, identified as Amir (alias Edi Rianto, alias Umar) as a key suspect in the foiled robbery attempt at a BCA branch in Gang Kancil, West Jakarta, which occurred only a few minutes after the blast at Hayam Wuruk Plaza.

Amir is suspected of being the leader of a group called Angkatan Mujahidin Islam Nusantara (AMIN), who all lived in Warung Menteng village in Cijeruk district, several kilometers away from Caringin. (emf)