The Jakarta Post, August 20, 2007
More TNT, detonators found after bomb blast
Wahyoe Boediwardhana and Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Malang, Surabaya
More suspects might be involved in the recent bombing incident in Pasuruan, East
Java, after the police found more explosives, a senior officer said Sunday.
Malang Police chief Sr. Comr. Syafrizal Ahyar said the police suspected more people
were involved in last week's incident, including Siti Tsaniyah, wife of Achmad Nadir,
one of five suspects who was detained by the police on Aug. 16.
He said Siti had not been named a suspect but was still being questioned.
"We're investigating her involvement. We haven't named Nadir's wife a suspect yet,"
he told The Jakarta Post by phone Sunday.
During a reconstruction of the blast at Ilham's home Saturday, suspicions were voiced
that Siti had a role in the incident, which killed three people.
Nadir has reportedly said that Siti was in charge of the financial side of the
bomb-making business. The bombs were reportedly used for fishing.
An officer with the Pasuruan Police, who declined to be named, said more evidence
would be needed before she could be named a suspect.
"Besides, there's the humanitarian aspect as she's currently pregnant. Even if we do
name her suspect, she might not be detained," the officer said.
The police had earlier confiscated 45.2 kg of TNT and hundreds of detonators from
Ilham's home.
On Saturday, the police seized another 79 kg of TNT, 684 detonators and more black
powder at Balongbendo village, Sidoarjo regency, East Java.
"The new evidence consists of 79 kg of TNT, not 90 kg. I've weighed it myself,"
Syafrizal said.
However, he did not say whether the latest evidence belonged to Nadir or not. Nadir
had earlier confessed that the evidence seized by the police from Ilham's house
belonged to him
Syafrizal said the police were still checking out information that the hazardous
substances had been supplied from Makassar, South Sulawesi.
"We're still verifying the information. Right now I'm in Pasuruan checking out the
results," he said.
He said the preliminary investigation had not yet revealed whether the Indonesian
Military (TNI) was involved or whether the incident related to terrorism.
East Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Herman Suryadi Sumawiredja said Saturday that
there was little chance that Nadir was involved in terrorism as his family had been
known for generations as fish bomb makers.
"We are focusing more on the distribution of the explosives...," Herman said.
The police have so far named five suspects in the incident. Of the five suspects, three
died in the blast: Warsiti, Yusuf and Mansyur.
The other two are the householder Ilham, and Nadir.
On Saturday, the police also arrested Suroto, a resident of Sidodadi in Balongbenda
district in Sidoarjo.
He was detained for allegedly being in possession of TNT and detonators.
Balongbenda Police chief Adj. Comr. Cipto said that Suroto claimed he did not know
what was in the four boxes and a plastic bag that were left at his house by Edi, a man
who has been in police detention since Thursday.
"Suroto's status is still that of a witness," Cipto said.
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