Indonesia will not extradite Kastari to Singapore: Police
Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam, Riau
Indonesia has no plan to extradite Singapore citizen Mas Slamet bin Kastari, alias Eddy Haryanto, who was arrested in Tanjung Pinang on Sunday night for the possession of a fake identity card.
Authorities in Singapore had been searching for Kastari, who is believed to be the leader of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) in Singapore and is thought to have planned several terrorist attacks on the island-nation.
The chief of detectives for the Tanjung Pinang Police, Adj. Comr. Susanto, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday the National Police had decided not to extradite the suspect to Singapore.
"The police leadership has decided not to extradite Kastari from Tanjung Pinang. According to our investigation, he was arrested for using a fake identity card. His wife and four children will remain in police custody here," he said.
Susanto said Kastari was arrested on Feb. 2 for using a fake identity card issued in Bengkalis, Mandau district, Riau, but that his passport was issued by the immigration office in Surabaya, the capital of East Java.
Kastari is wanted by Singapore for allegedly plotting to crash an airplane into the Cahgi International Airport.
"An intensive investigation is still under way and, so far, there is no indication that Kastari was involved in the series of blasts (in Indonesia) over the last three years," Susanto said.
He said the investigation was focusing on the suspect's possible involvement in the Christmas Eve 2000 church bombings and the Oct. 12 Bali blasts.
Susanto acknowledged that Riau was a stepping-stone for criminals and terrorists making their way overseas, which is why the province, which is near Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand, was known for the issuance of fake identity cards and other documents.
He said that in Batam, Tanjung Pinang and Bengkalis, migrants could get an identity card for Rp 300,000. Passports and marriage certificates also can be had by paying off local officials.
People who want a fake passport must pay about Rp 1 million and the passport will be ready in an hour.
Antara news agency reported that police in Bengkalis had arrested Syafarian A.M.T., secretary of the Mandau district, for his alleged involvement in the issuance of the fake card identity to Kastari.
Mandau district head A. Ridwan Yazid confirmed Syafarian's arrest.
Bengkalis Regent Syamsurizal regretted Syafarian's involvement in issuing an Indonesian citizenship card to Singaporean Kastari, saying the case should be processed according to the law and serve as a warning to other officials in the province.
The chief of the immigration office in Bengkalis, Yana Zaini, denied having issued a passport to Kastari.
"We have checked all of the files of passport applicants and found no record of Kastari being issued a passport," he said.