Police Arrest 6 Acehnese People, Seize 5 Bombs

BY NURDIN HASAN

Banda Aceh, TAG –  The Aceh police chief Ins. Gen. Iskandar Hasan said on Monday that the police had foiled bombing attempts in Lhoong area of Aceh Besar district. Police also arrested six people and seized five low explosive homemade bombs in operations over the weekend.
"The six arrested are residents of Aceh. I hope the perpetrators were terrorists from outside Aceh. But they are all my brothers from Aceh. It makes heavy at heart," he said at a press conference at Aceh police headquarters in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh.

The arrests made after the police tip information from local residents about the existence of three suspects carrying for homemade bombs in a car on the street of Meunasah Lhok village of Aceh Besar’s Lhoong sub-district, some 60 kilometer to the south of Banda Aceh, at 2:00 a.m on Saturday.

“At the time, the suspects wanted to carry the bombs to the west,” Iskandar said, adding that the bombs had been assembled in five pipes of 15-centimeter diameter with length of 50 centimeters. Inside the pipes, it had been placed gunpower, particles, cables, ignition, and detonators.

"Although it’s low-explosive bombs but quite dangerous. If it exploded on the target around it, could be humans and animals. By law, it defined a dangerous explosive, " he said accompanied by Aceh police spokesman, Sr. Comr. Gustav Leo, showing pictures of bombs to the reporters.

"The bombs did not explode, because we managed to catch the culprit before it is installed. We can imagine that if it exploded, " Iskandar added.

According to Iskandar, the three people arrested were identified as MMS, KM, and RM.

At about the same time, police also arrested three more people in North Aceh district, which is believed to be related to ownership of homemade bombs in tLhoong. Those arrested in North Aceh identified as DG, U.S., and SL. "Those arrested in North Aceh allegedly also involved in this bombing networks," says Iskandar.

When asked by reporters from which group of the suspects, provincial police chief refused to explain. However, the Serambi Indonesia daily published on Monday's edition mentioned that three arrested in North Aceh is former rebel of Free Aceh Movement (GAM). One of them referred to as Aceh Party chief of a sub-district in North Aceh.

According to Serambi daily, the three were arrested from their homes at about the same time. The Aceh largest newspaper citing family of the three who said armed police had ransacked the house when the arrests took place.

Iskandar explained that the six arrested in an operation by Aceh police which backed by team from the National Police Headquarters. They alleged links to a number of criminal acts that occurred in Aceh in recent months. But, he didn’t elaborate in detail as the police are still steeped in the cases.

Previously itu had circulated rumors that the bombs were found in the Lhoong about to explode when a convoy of one of the candidates for governor across the hilly areas. However, Aceh police chief stated, "We have not looked at the capture of the road. Clearly they were carrying explosives. "

The upcoming local elections, which are slated for April 9 following a series of delays over political bickering, will see voters across the province turn out to pick a governor, four mayors and 13 district heads.

The along-awaited polls has been marred by a spate of unresolved shootings and fire-bombings that claimed nine civilians since last December. In the latest incident, Lhokseumawe City Council Speaker Saifuddin Yunus was shot and injured in an ambush at his house early on Thursday by two unknown gunmen.

While analysts and some Indonesian House Representatives have warned that the violence is aimed at disrupting the elections, some local authorities say the shootings are purely criminal in nature and motivation.[]