Suspected JSX bombers arrested

JAKARTA (JP): Police announced on Sunday the arrest of a gang of 25 men allegedly involved in a recent fatal blast at the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) building and a grenade explosion last month at the Malaysian Embassy.

The gang's whereabouts was uncovered after one of its members was arrested early on Saturday on his way to blow up the U.S. Embassy and Sarinah department store, both in the heart of the capital.

But police officers gave conflicting statements over the military status of some of the suspects. Moreover, the police are still in the dark about the motives and sponsors of the group to terrorize the capital.

According to Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Nurfaizi, none of the 25 suspects was from the military. However, the two-star general firmly believed that the gang members were all armed civilians and have special links with rebel movement in Aceh.

Contradicting Nurfaizi's remark, his newly appointed superior, National Police chief, Comr. Gen. Bimantoro, said that two of the suspects detained by the Jakarta Police were from the military.

"One of them has been in Military Police custody," Bimantoro told reporters on board a military flight from Atambua to Jakarta on Sunday evening.

A source at city police shared Bimantoro's remarks, saying that at least one suspect was from the Army's special force (Kopassus).

"The other one is from the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad)," the police source said, adding that the arrest of the 25 suspects was made with the help of Kopassus.

"Without Kopassus (officers), we (police) would never have been able to get those men at the Ciganjur workshop," the source said, referring to the Krung Baru Motor auto repair shop in Ciganjur where most of the suspects were caught on Sunday.

City police chief of detectives, Sr. Supt. Harry Montolalu, identified the suspects, aged between 24 and 43, as repair shop owner Tengku Ismuhadi, as well as Iwan Setiawan, alias Husen, Zukri, Zakaria, Bahtiar, Tabrani, Heri Adan, Nuryadin, Hasnali, Azhar, Tarmizi, Suwardi, Fauzi A. Rahman, Asri Hanafiah, Ismail, Rahman Zainal, Saleh Daud, Muhammad Rizal, Fazri Husen, Aswadi H. Jamil, Armia, Sardini, Jufri Nurdin, Saefan Nurdin and Mudin.

According to Harry, who accompanied Nurfaizi at the media conference, Iwan was the first suspect caught by the police.

It remains unclear whether the police had been monitoring this group for a long time. Nurfaizi only said that the arrest of Iwan inside a taxi at 4 a.m. on Saturday at a Cilandak traffic light in South Jakarta was based on a tip-off from the public.

Harry said that police confiscated two grenades with casings from Iwan's possession, which the suspect planned to plant at the U.S. embassy and Sarinah department store.

Through Iwan, police then caught two other suspects.

"The three confessed to their involvement in the grenade explosion on Aug. 27 in the parking lot of the Malaysian Embassy, Kuningan, South Jakarta," Nurfaizi said.

A police source said the first three suspects confessed that Iwan had been given Rp 20 million (US$2,300) to bomb the Malaysian Embassy.

"Of the Rp 20 million, Iwan used Rp 300,000 to rent a Kijang van to place the bomb in embassy's parking lot, and paid at least Rp 300,000 each to the two other suspects," the source said.

From arresting the three, the police headed to the group's headquarters at the Ciganjur auto repair shop, which is about 200 meters from the private residence of President Abdurrahman Wahid.

Here, the police caught the remaining 22 suspects as the officers believed the place had been used for constructing bombs.

"Based on the preliminary investigation, all 25 suspects are suspected of being involved in the Sept. 13 powerful blast at the JSX," Nurfaizi said, referring the explosion in the building's undercover parking lot that killed at least 11 people, injured dozens of others and damaged some 200 vehicles.

The Krung Baru Motor repair shop is located on Jl. Warung Sila No. 99, Cipedak, Jagakarsa.

Locals said that most of the suspects were from Aceh, just like the owner, Tengku Ismuhadi.

Neighborhood chief Darya said on Sunday that Tengku Ismuhadi, who claimed to have come from Blangmerah, Aceh, had established the garage a year ago.

"He once invited me to a religious gathering, and I did not understand the language used by others invited to the gathering ... they were speaking Acehnese," Darya told reporters.

Separately, Jamaluddin, a local who was questioned by police on Saturday as a witness, said on Sunday the whole shop is quite open.

"There is no hidden place here which could hide something like making bombs. There is a place to rest here and to store the garage's equipment, that's all."

But Jamaluddin confirmed that most of the people, including visitors, often used the Acehnese language. (07/ylt/dja)