The Jakarta Post, October 20, 2004
Police release pictures of Cicurug bomb makers
Abdul Khalik and Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Bandung
Police released on Tuesday pictures of Abdullah, Jabir and Afuy, three of four owners
of high explosive found in Cicurug village, Sukabumi, West Java, after naming them
suspects in the Sept. 9 bombing outside the Australian Embassy in South Jakarta.
National Police detectives chief Com. Gen. Suyitno Landung Sudjono said the police
were now matching the dry blood found in a rented house in Cicurug with blood
samples of family members of other suspects in the embassy attack.
"Some neighbors identified Jabir and Afuy as two of the four men who rented the
house," said Suyitno.
A small explosion went off at around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday at a rented house in the
village, about 80 kilometers southwest of Jakarta. The hand of one of the men, later
identified as Abdullah, 18, was wounded, and he was admitted to a nearby clinic.
Police suspect the other tenant was Hassan, who is wanted for his role in last
month's blast.
The four never returned to the rented house, where police later found two backpacks of
TNT, an explosive material that was used in the Sept. 9 bomb attack.
"The brown residue we found at the house is TNT. We are still examining our
findings," he said.
Suyitno confirmed that the four men were new recruits of Malaysian fugitives Azahari
bin Husin and Noordin Moh Top, who have been wanted for their key role in the 2002
Bali bombings -- in which 202 people were killed -- the 2003 JW Marriott Hotel attack
that claimed 12 lives and last month's suicide bombing that left 10 people dead.
Separately, Siliwangi Military Commander overseeing West Java Maj. Gen. Iwan
Ridwan Sulandjana said he believed that Azahari and Noordin were still hiding in
southern Cianjur or southern Sukabumi.
"We suspect that areas in West Java, such as Cianjur, Sukabumi, Tasikmalaya and
Ciamis are their hiding places. It is hard for us, and the police, to trace them as the
areas are isolated. However, we have asked regents there to stay alert," said Iwan.
He added his officers were verifying reports of a US$1 million bank transfer from the
United States to finance the construction of a big mosque in a remote village in
southern Cianjur.
"We know that it is an area that supplies migrant workers bound to Saudi Arabia. But
the sender came from the U.S., and it is hard to believe that such a huge amount
should be given to a mosque in a remote area," said Iwan.
He would not say whether the money had been linked to a certain organization or
individual who assists terror activities in the country.
All contents copyright © of The Jakarta Post.
|