Two hotels receive bomb threats

JAKARTA: Intercontinental MidPlaza hotel on Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Kav. 10-11 and Red Top hotel on Jl. Pecenongan, both in Central Jakarta, received hoax bomb calls.

A telephone operator at the Intercontinental MidPlaza, Wiwin, said that she received the hoax call from a man identifying himself as Syahrudin of South Jakarta, late on Thursday at 10:45 p.m.

She transferred the call to a security guard on duty, Widodo Susilo. Widodo said that the caller claimed to have five accomplices who had planted a bomb inside a guest bedroom, and demanded a ransom of Rp 20 million (US$2,353) be paid.

He quickly contacted Tanah Abang Police, who called in the bomb squad. They could not find any explosives and declared the hotel safe by 2 a.m. on Friday.

At Red Top hotel, operator Johanes received a telephoned bomb threat at 12:20 a.m. on Friday. The caller said he had planted two bombs inside the hotel.

The caller demanded a Rp 30 million ransom, otherwise the bombs would be detonated at 1 a.m.

The threat turned out to be a hoax after police officers from Gambir Police subprecinct investigated, declaring that no bombs had been found at the hotel. -- JP