Wed, 13 Aug 2003

Most hotels lack metal detectors

BEKASI: Most of the hotels in Bekasi mayoralty and regency lack metal detectors as a security precaution, leaving them open for terrorist activities and other crimes.

Bekasi councillor Bambang Darmoko from the Indonesian Military (TNI)/Police faction said that many of the hotels could become targets of terrorist attacks.

"Only two hotels in Bekasi have metal detectors. We urge the other hotels to get metal detectors," Bambang said on Tuesday without mentioning the names of the two hotels.

He said such security measures were necessary, not only to prevent direct attacks on those hotels but to prevent criminals from using such places as staging areas, after police arrested the possible perpetrators of three recent Jakarta bombings in Bekasi.

The police took into custody several people and accused them of being members of the Free Aceh Movement, on Aug. 8 in their rented houses in Bekasi. -- Antara