Photo of Azahari insider released
Abdul Khalik and Blontank Poer, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Surakarta
Police released on Tuesday a photograph of another man suspected of involvement in the explosion outside the Australian Embassy in Kuningan, South Jakarta that killed 10 people, including a suspected suicide bomber.
National Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Suyitno Landung Sudjono said the suspect, identified as Rois alias Iwan Darmawan alias Endi alias Agaf, was very close to Malaysian fugitives Azahari bin Husin and Noordin Moh. Top.
Azahari and Noordin are believed to have masterminded the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people and the JW Marriott Hotel attack, which claimed 12 lives.
Police said the two had recruited several new suicide bombers, including those who perpetrated the Kuningan bombing on Sept. 9.
"We are looking for him because he accompanies Azahari and Noordin everywhere they go," he said.
Suyitno, however, declined to spell out the role of Rois in the Kuningan bombing.
He said the police drew Rois' face based on descriptions provided by five other suspects, who are now in police custody.
"Several of the detained suspects met with Rois before and after the blast. Rois can show us the hiding place of Azahari and Noordin because we believe he is still with them now," said Suyitno.
The photograph shows a light-skinned man with a beard and a small scar on the left side of his face.
Suyitno said the scar was caused by a bomb explosion but declined to mention the location of the explosion.
He added that Rois speaks with a West Javanese accent and is 165 centimeters tall.
Police have arrested over 30 people in connection with the Kuningan bombing, but only six people have officially been named suspects. The suspects detained after the Kuningan blast are identified as IR and AAH, while suspects arrested before the blast are known by the initials UB, IS and DN.
Police said that all of the detained suspects are accused of harboring Azahari and Noordin and helping transport explosive materials for the blast.
Meanwhile, Surakarta police chief Sr. Comr. Abdul Madjid said on Tuesday that a team from Detachment 88, the police's antiterror squad, had arrested a man last week who is allegedly linked to the Kuningan blast.
Abdul said that the man had been taken to National Police Headquarters in Jakarta last Sunday.
He, however, refused to reveal further information about the suspect.
"The arrest was carried out by a team from the headquarters. They just notified us," said Abdul.
National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Paiman declined to confirm the arrest, saying that police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar would explain everything on Wednesday (today).