Police arrest dozens carrying explosives

Police arrest dozens carrying explosives

JAKARTA (JP): Police detectives aided by local people arrested
53 people in two separate raids on Thursday for possession of
Molotov cocktails and other explosives.

In the morning, 35 people were arrested by detectives from the
South Jakarta precinct at the Perbanas School of Economics on Jl.
Genteng Hijau.

The officers confiscated at least 35 Molotov cocktails and 15
plastic and glass bottles filled with fuel and equipped with
wicks.

Later in the evening, a group of people on the capital's major
thoroughfare of Jl. Sudirman in South Jakarta detained 18 men,
who claimed they were members of the Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).

They were handcuffed after being chased by people in the area
who were suspicious of their appearance.

The people captured the 18 suspects and later handed them over
to the nearby Jakarta Police headquarters, together with the
Molotov cocktails.

The suspects were taken to the South Jakarta police for
further questioning.

South Jakarta police chief of detectives Capt. Rycko Amelza
Daniel explained the first arrests were made at Perbanas campus
following an operation against suspected militant activists which
lasted over 30 minutes.

"Police came out with bombs and plastic bottles in their
hands," Rycko said.

"According to information from our informers, students from
Padjajaran University in Bandung had been arriving since
Wednesday and had joined with the Perbanas students. Some of them
had even managed to kidnap one of our officers."

"The kidnapped officer was 2nd Sgt. Nugroho. He was later
safely handed over to the military police for questioning about
the matter.

Meanwhile, the Bandung students were sent back to Bandung at
about 11:30 a.m.," Rycko said.

The 35 arrested people were believed to have been involved in
the kidnapping as well as in the making of the handmade bombs.
(ylt/04)