Police find grenade in Hilton garden

Eva C. Komandjaja and Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A rusty hand grenade was found in a garden in the grounds of Hilton Apartment complex here on Monday morning, prompting an increase in security there.

Police, who collected the explosive, said the grenade was inactive and had probably been buried under the soil for a long time.

The find sparked a security alert following the warning from Australian Embassy there would be terror attacks targeting Western hotel chains including the Jakarta Hilton.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Paiman said the gardener found the grenade by accident when he was tending the garden.

"The bomb squad found the grenade was old and no longer active," Paiman said. The police were still ascertaining where the grenade had come from and how long it had laid there, he said.

Built in the early 1970s, the hotel is popular with foreigners staying in the city.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said police had questioned the gardener, Firmansyah, 21.

"The police are also looking for other possible witnesses who saw anything in that area before Firmansyah found the grenade," Tjiptono said.

The Hilton public relations officer Emeraldo Parengkuan said management was continuing to tighten security following the terror warnings last week.

More closed-circuit television monitoring systems would be installed in public areas and more security guards stationed in the hotel grounds, he said.

"We now have 24-hour security consultants on stand by here. We have increased our personnel numbers and have asked for back up from the Jakarta Police," Parengkuan said.

The grenade find came less than a week after antiterror police discovered nine homemade bombs in a public bus in Bandung.

"Based on the examination conducted by the (police) forensic laboratory, the bombs contain strong oxides but we didn't find any TNT inside," Paiman said.

The police also found an active detonator but no power source, wiring system or timers.

"Therefore, (in their current state) it would have been impossible to detonate the bombs," Paiman said.

Police were still questioning seven bus passengers who were helping police with their investigations.

"We have already drawn a sketch of the suspect who carried the box that contained the bombs," Paiman said.