Two arrested for possessing grenades

JAKARTA (JP): Chief of the City Police Detectives announced yesterday that two people were arrested last Sunday for illegally possessing two active hand grenades.

Police Col. Paimin Aboeamr said police and intelligence officers raided the homes of the two on the night of Feb. 9, following information that the two men, Saleh Abdullah, 37, and Abdul Aziz Umar Madhie, 31, had planned to take the explosives to the Takbir Akbar mass gathering at Monas square last Saturday.

Takbir Akbar is a gathering on Idul Fitri eve for Moslems to mark the end of the Ramadhan fasting month. The gathering was attended by high-ranking officials, including President Soeharto and Vice President Try Sutrisno.

"The first grenade was found at 19:00 p.m. at Saleh Abdulah's house in Pabuaran village, Megamendung, West Java," Paimin said yesterday.

The hand grenade found in Saleh's house was made in South Korea, he said. It was a Fray Delay K75, with registration number Comp B Lot EC-82H601-001.

"During the raid on Saleh's house, a foreigner identified as Fauzi, 31, was also arrested," Paimin said but he refused to give Fauzi's nationality.

"A half kilogram of opium, half a kilo of marijuana and a number of syringes were also seized at Saleh's residence," Paimin said, adding that the preliminary interrogation of Saleh had led authorities to another suspect, Abdul Aziz Umar Madhie, 31, one of Saleh's friends.

Police found the second hand grenade in Abdul's house on Jl. Cililitan Kecil, East Jakarta.

Abdul's grenade was the same type, with registration number Comp B Lot EC-85D605-030.

The grenades could destroy at least one floor of a multi-story building, Paimin said.

Saleh, Abdul, and the foreigner, are being detained for further questioning. (04)