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