Police raid in Ambon nets bombs, ammo

M. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Ambon

Police officers found hundreds of rounds of ammunition and explosive devices during sweeps over the past week in Laha subdistrict, Ambon Baguala district, Ambon.

Officers from the elite Mobile Brigade also arrested Pakhri bin Jaga, who is said to be former member of Laskar Jihad.

"He is being detained for possession of explosives and ammunition," Ambon Island and Lease Islands Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Leonidas Braksan said on Monday.

First Insp. Yustanto Mujiharso, who led the sweeps, said his unit combed Laha after a tip from residents that explosives and ammunition were being stored in the subdistrict. The items are thought to be left over from the sectarian violence in Maluku in 2000.

During the searches, officers found 95 homemade bombs, five connected to detonators, 389 AK-47 bullets, hundreds of other bullets of different calibers, four homemade guns, two homemade rifles, three steel helmets and other items.

According to Yustanto, the 95 bombs contained TNT.

Some of the items were found in houses in the subdistrict, which is a majority Muslim area, while others were unearthed in nearby cacao plantations.

Police also found a small bunker in the subdistrict where the helmets and several pairs of military-style boots were kept.

Those residents who voluntarily handed over ammunition or weapons were not detained, Yustanto said.

"We will conduct sweeps in other areas soon, including Christian areas," Yustanto said.

Ambon was rocked by sectarian violence in 1999. The violence, which continued on and off until 2002, left thousands of Muslims and Christians dead, and forced hundreds of thousands of others to flee their homes.

The violence largely subsided in 2002 after a government- sponsored peace agreement, but bombings and attacks continue to take place.