Police capture key Palopo bombing suspect
Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi
Local police captured early on Sunday a key suspect in the recent bombing of a cafe in Palopo regency, South Sulawesi, which killed four people and seriously injured three others.
Jasmin, alias Jamir, alias Yaming bin Kasau, was arrested at a house some 30 kilometers south of Palopo in Noling village, Bupong subdistrict, Luwu regency.
Head of South Sulawesi Police crime division Sr. Comr. Achmad Abdi said Jasmin, also known as Mister X, was being grilled at the Palopo police station.
"At dawn today (Sunday), our officers arrested Jasmin, the main suspect in the Palopo blast. He is being put through intensive interrogation," Abdi said.
He said police raided a welding shop in Kandoa village, Bua subdistrict, Luwu, which was believed to be where the bomb used in the attack on Sampoddo Indah Cafe, Palopo, was assembled.
Police officers failed to uncover any suspicious material at the shop, but have taken its owner to the Luwu police station for questioning, Abdi added.
The police charged Jasmin with perpetrating the blast on Jan. 10.
Eyewitnesses were quoted by the police as saying that Jasmin and an unidentified accomplice arrived at the targeted cafe and 10 minutes after they left, a bomb exploded at around 10:30 p.m. from the table where they had sat.
"Based on eyewitness statements, Jasmin and his accomplice appear to have delivered the bomb and detonated it at Sampoddo Cafe...
"He is the prime suspect and we will ask him about the motives and those involved in the explosion," Abdi said.
On Friday, South Sulawesi Police spokesman Comr. Sr. Andi Nurman Thahir had accused the alleged mastermind of the Dec. 5, 2002 McDonald's bombing in Makassar, Agung Abdul Hamid, of playing a key role in the Palopo attack.
Nurman argued that another suspect in the Jan. 10 blast, Arman, confessed to having seen Agung, who is still at large, eating with Jasmin and his accomplice Idil, alias Abdul Muis bin Kardi, at a restaurant in Palopo several days after the attack.
Jasmin is one of six suspects being detained over the blast. The police are searching for their six accomplices, who disappeared after the attack.
The five other suspects are Arman, Aswandi, Idil, Benardi and Ahmad Rizal, alias Ical. Three of them -- Arman, Idil and Jasmin -- have been formally charged.
Police have blamed Jamaah Islamiyah for the Makassar blast that killed three people and the Oct. 12, 2001 Bali bombing that claimed at least 202 lives of foreign tourists.