Police find large explosives warehouse

Police said on Thursday that they had found a large warehouse storing explosives that were linked to the blast in the basement of the four-story Graha Cijantung building in East Jakarta early last month.

"The warehouse in Kamal in the Cengkareng subdistrict of West Jakarta supplied the explosives used for the blast in Graha Cijantung last month," said city police detective chief for general crimes Adj. Sr. Comr. Raja Erisman.

Raja said police confiscated two containers and several drums containing explosives from the warehouse.

"We also arrested Kusnaedi and Aji, the owner and a guard at the storehouse, when we raided the building," Raja added.

Earlier last Friday, Raja said police had arrested two suspects, Fahri and Husaini, who had bought the explosives from a storehouse in Medan, North Sumatra.

Raja said the findings came from a police investigation into the blast at Graha Cijantung located on Jl. Raya Bogor near the Kopassus Headquarters. Eight people were slightly injured in the explosion.

Last month, police arrested five suspects in connection to an attack at a rented house in Tapos village, Cimanggis Depok. They also seized several grenades, homemade bombs, 20,000 rounds of ammunition, over 160 magazines, several detonators, a pack of marijuana, Rp 50 million (US$5,555) in cash and army fatigues along with them. All the items reportedly came from Aceh.

Police said earlier that they were still hunting for seven other suspects who were still at large. They include Ramli, the alleged mastermind behind the blast at Plaza Atrium in Senen in Central Jakarta last year. --JP