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| Southeast Asia |
| Embassy bomb 'courier' under arrest |
| 2004-09-18 |
| INDONESIAN police have captured a man they say has confessed to transporting the explosives used in the Australian embassy attack in Jakarta. But police chief General Da'i Bachtiar has also warned of more possible attacks, saying senior Jemaah Islamiah terrorists still on the run may have already built more bombs.Officers had also arrested a young man who had been readying himself for a suicide bombing, Gen Da'i said. In what could be a major breakthrough, a man had confessed to being a courier for the alleged terror masterminds Azahari Husin and Noordin Mohammed Top, he said last night. Although he did not directly take part in the September 9 bombing, he was involved in the preparation of the bomb, the police chief said. "He knew that what he carried was explosives," Gen Da'i said. The man had admitted carrying packages of explosives for Azahari and had been involved in the preparation of the car bomb - a role which could lead to the death penalty in Indonesia, he said. Gen Da'i acknowledged the terror group might have other bombs other than the one detonated outside the embassy. "They could have made two or three, it is still possible," he said when asked if Indonesia still faced the threat of more attacks. Gen Da'i said the arrest of the suspect explosives courier could provide police with crucial leads. "At least there is someone related to explosive preparation," he said. "But the man we want most is the man who knew about making the bomb, the clear target. Just wait. Our officers are on the move." The latest suspect was captured close to Jakarta during a series of raids across Java which netted 11 people, most of them in the island's eastern Muslim heartland. Five were taken into custody during a suspected terrorist induction ceremony near the port city of Surabaya. Three others were arrested in Madiun and another two in Magetan. |
| Posted by:Zenster |