Suspect package at U.S. embassy contained radio

Suspect package at U.S. embassy contained radio

JAKARTA (JP): Police announced yesterday that the object contained in a package, which caused a flurry of concern at the U.S. embassy on Tuesday, is "only a radio" and not a bomb as suspected.

"It's not a bomb but only a radio made up of metallic elements," City Police spokesman Lt. Col. A. Latief Rabar said yesterday.

He was quoting a report from the Bomb Disposal Squad which secured the package on Tuesday and later examined the small box- shaped object inside it at squad headquarters.

Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Hendroprijono said Wednesday that the incident had nothing to do with politics and had no connection whatsoever with the rumors of race riots gripping the capital city.

"Based on the results of our investigation we found no political motive behind the discovery of the package," the two- star general said.

The package which caused concern among staffers and visitors at the American embassy Tuesday afternoon was wrapped in brown paper and measured 30 centimeters long, 20 centimeters wide and 10 centimeters high.

The return address on the package identified the sender as a dentist named Hidayat from Solo, Central Java.

Besides the radio, the package also contained a flag and a bunch of documents written in the Indonesian language.

The flag measures two meters long and one-and-a-half meters wide. It has a white flower in the center, which is surrounded by red and white stripes.

Dated April 16, the package was sent via the private courier firm, PT Tunggal Jaya. It was delivered by an employee of the firm at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

The Bomb Squad was called three hours later by embassy security officials after they examined the package with a metal detector and became suspicious of its contents.

The initial police examination of the package at the embassy compound took 15 minutes. Later, the Bomb Disposal Squad carried the suspect object to their headquarters for further examination. (bsr)