Rp100m offered for tip-offs on bombers

Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police announced on Monday a reward of Rp 100 million (about US$10,000) for anyone with information about the identities of three suicide bombers who launched bomb attacks in Bali on Oct. 1.

Chief of detectives at National Police Headquarters Comr. Gen. Makbul Padmanegara said that police had printed another 100,000 posters displaying pictures of the severed heads of the suicide bombers, to be distributed in public places in various parts of the country.

"We hope these (pictures) will help people identify them," Makbul said.

After three weeks of investigation, the police have still not been able to identify the three suicide bombers who killed 20 other people when they launched almost simultaneous bomb attacks in three crowded restaurants.

Identifying the suicide bombers could help the police in tracking down the suspected masterminds, believed by many to be Malaysian fugitives Azahari bin Husin and Noordin M. Top, who are leading members of regional terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah.

Makbul said that the police had previously distributed a total of 300,000 photographs of the suspected suicide bombers along with pictures of Azahari and Noordin.

The posters also included special characteristics of the Malaysian fugitives including their facial and body features, and mentions their habit of wearing small waist bags.

Police have offered a reward totaling Rp 1 billion to persons having information about Azahari or Noordin, who are also believed responsible for a series of bomb blasts in the country including in Bali in 2002, the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Jakarta in 2003, and the Australian Embassy in 2004.

Anyone who has information on either the identities of the Oct. 1 Bali bombers or the fugitives Azahari and Noordin can contact the police on (021) 721 8309 or 0812 112 5678, or by sending a text message to 0812 113 5678.