Police seize one ton of chemicals in Lamongan

Fidelito Achmad, The Jakarta Post, Lamongan

The team investigating the Oct. 12 Bali blasts seized one ton of chemicals believed to belong to Amrozi, a main suspect in the case, from the house of his business partner, Ashuri, in Lamongan, East Java, on Monday.

The team also arrested Ashuri's wife Murni, their son Badri Ikhtiar Apang, their daughter Arifah, 24, and son-in-law Tahubi, 29. The four are being questioned at the Lamongan Police station.

The chemicals, believed to have been purchased by Amrozi from the Tidar chemical shop belonging to Silvester Tendean in Surabaya, were seized when several team members searched Ashuri's house in Banjarwati village, Paciran district, Lamongan.

The chief of detectives with the East Java Police, Sr. Comr. Ade Rahardja, declined comment on this latest development.

"Please, give us time to question everyone," he said.

Ashuri was arrested by the Malaysian authorities on Dec. 12.

Fachmi Achmad, a member of the Muslim Lawyers' Team defending the Bali blast suspects, said the chemicals were seized only hours before he and other lawyers handed over the chemicals to the police.

A reliable source who requested anonymity told The Jakarta Post on Monday that several times Badri expressed his intention to report the chemicals to the police but never followed through.

"I don't want to be linked to the bombing case," the source quoted Badri, a high school student, as saying.

The source said Amrozi moved the chemicals in a pick-up before the Bali blasts and stored them at Ashuri's house because he did not have space at his house.

Amrozi and Ashur were partners in a cellular phone and a motorcycle business in Lamongan.

"Many locals bought cellular phones and motorcycles from the two," said the source.

Amrozi, along with his older brother Mukhlas, alias Ali Gufron, and Imam Samudra, are being held as the main suspects in the Bali attack. Imam, who was arrested two weeks ago in Merak on his way from Serang to Pekanbaru, Riau, denied knowing Mukhlas or receiving US$30,000 from him to finance the bombings.

Amrozi said earlier the money for the attack was funneled through Mukhlas by Man Win, a Malaysian citizen who has been arrested by Malaysian authorities.