Man nabbed for threats to Canadian

Man nabbed for threats to Canadian

A man has been arrested for making death threats to expatriates working at a Canadian-operated nickel mine in South Sulawesi province, police said on Thursday.

They said the man made the threats because he feared he would lose his job to a foreigner.

Police reinforcements were sent to the mine last month and the Canadian and Australian governments warned of a "credible terrorist threat" in the area. The reason for the warnings was not disclosed.

"The man, a doctor working at the mine, was arrested in Soroako on Tuesday evening and is still under intensive police questioning," South Sulawesi Police spokesman Andi Nurman Tahir told AFP.

Tahir said the man has admitted making hundreds of death threats by mobile phone messages since January.

They were mostly sent to a Canadian executive of International Nickel Indonesia (Inco). Some also threatened that other expatriates would become targets unless they return home.

Tahir said the man was afraid he would lose his job following rumors that the company would replace local doctors at the mine with foreigners.

Canada last month warned its citizens of a "credible terrorist threat" to Western interests in South Sulawesi and advised them to avoid the area. A similar warning was issued by the Australian embassy.

The state Antara news agency said last month that 51 Canadians in South Sulawesi had told their respective companies they wanted to leave Indonesia following Ottawa's warning.

Indonesia has been rocked by a series of terror attacks in recent years. Most of them, including the Bali bombings which killed 202 people in October 2002, have been blamed on the Al Qaeda-linked Jamaah Islamiyah.

Inco is mining about 3,000 hectares for nickel. Its current contract will expire in 2025. --AFP