Maluku's SGI seizes hundreds of weapons during raid in Ambon

AMBON, Maluku (JP): The Military Joint-Intelligence Task Force (SGI) stationed in Ambon seized on Friday hundreds of weaponry during an afternoon raid at a house in Tanah Lapang Kecil area, Nusaniwe district, Ambon.

The house, belonging to a man named Hasan, was raided by the SGI force at about 12:30 p.m. local time, Pattimura Military chief of staff Col. Syarifuddin Sumah said later on Friday.

The unit seized 114 assembled bombs and hundreds of rounds of bullets of various types including rubber bullets, dozens of blank bullets, and bullets for .22 caliber guns and AK-47 rifles, an SKS long rifle, four assembled rifles and five assembled pistols.

The SGI unit was set up following the establishment of the Pattimura Military Command on May 15, 1999 to back up the new military command and make early detection of possible conflict.

The unit -- comprises intelligence officers from the Navy's marines, the Air Force's Paskhas and Army's Kopassus -- functions as 'the eyes and the ears' of (the Pattimura) Military Command, Pattimura Military Commander Brig. Gen. I Made Yasa has earlier said.

Eight people were arrested following the raid, seven of whom were locals while the other one is a Jakarta resident named Hussein.

The seven locals of Tanah Lapang Kecil were identified as Djalal, Yunus, Achmad, Iki, Hamid, Nasaruddin and Lamparang.

"We had been monitoring the house for quite some time and one of the officers who lives in the area has been investigating Hasan's activities and spotted the weaponry haul," Syarifuddin said.

Hasan's house is located only 200 meters away from the Ambon Police precinct.

Prior to the raid, the intelligence officer was mobbed by a group of youths hanging around Hasan's house who accused the officer of sexual assault on Hasan's wife.

The wounded officer was taken to the Ambon Police precinct and later he revealed his identity to police officers, Syarifuddin said.

"Immediately after the officer reported the incident, the SGI unit launched a raid to capture Hasan and managed to arrest the group at the same time.

"Hasan, along with the rest of the gang, is being detained at the Ambon Police precinct. They will be charged with assault and battery and illegal possession of weaponry," Syarifuddin said.

All of the evidence, however, was taken to SGI main office at Pattimura Military Command in Batu Gajah area.

"We are withholding the evidence as a precautionary move and for security reasons. Anytime the police need the evidence, we will hand it over to them but with clear procedures.

"We hope this way there will be no cases that go unsolved due to missing or incomplete evidence," the officer said.

He said the box of the weaponry bore signs of Komisi Penanggulangan Krisis (the Crisis Management Commission) and a Bank Muamalat account number at the Al-Surqan cash office on Jl. Kramat Raya No. 45, Central Jakarta.

"We will coordinate our findings with the police," he added.

Meanwhile, around 11 a.m. local time on Friday a local resident named Johny Serlawan was severely injured after being shot in the back of his neck in Halong Atas area, some six kilometers east of Ambon.

Johny was about to transport fruit to marine troops in the area when gunmen suddenly sprayed bullets at him. Gunfights between the assailants and the troops took place after the incident but the attackers managed to flee.

"He is in a critical condition and being treated at Halong Naval Hospital," an officer said. (edt/49)