Police eat evidence after bomb threat

The Jakarta Police bomb squad found a cake and got to eat it too, after a suspicious package, found in the office of the British Consulate in the high-rise Deutsche Bank building in central Jakarta on Tuesday, turned out to be a traditional dessert.

Hundreds of people, including foreign journalists from a number of international news organizations, such as the Associated Press-Dow Jones, the British Broadcasting Corporation, Reuters and the Kyodo news agency, evacuated the building at 1 p.m.

However, the bomb squad quickly gave the all clear when they discovered the package contained nothing more harmful than a bika ambon traditional cake.

Witnesses said a bomb squad member even tasted it.

An amused British ambassador, Richard Gozney, apologized for the fuss caused.

"It's the Ramadhan fasting month ... people send delicacies to break the fast," Gozney told MetroTV.

Embassies and foreigners in the country have been on heightened alert since last month's Bali bomb attacks that killed more than 190 people. Bomb threats have been common since.

The Australian and U.S. embassies in Jakarta issued notices last Friday saying they had received "credible information" about possible attacks on international schools associated or identified with Western interests.

The warnings prompted the closure of several schools, including the British International School, the Australian School and Jakarta International School, all in Jakarta.

The Police have increased security at all of the international schools. The government had already security at international refineries, mines and companies across the country. --JP