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Viewing cable 08SURABAYA35, SOUTH SULAWESI: MAKASSAR DRUG BUST UNCOVERS EXPLOSIVES,

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08SURABAYA35 2008-03-13 10:05 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Consulate Surabaya
VZCZCXRO3673
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJS #0035 0731005
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131005Z MAR 08
FM AMCONSUL SURABAYA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0179
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0093
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0166
RUEHJS/AMCONSUL SURABAYA 0184
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0037
RHHMUNA/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0091
UNCLAS SURABAYA 000035 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, INR/EAP, INL, S/CT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL ID
SUBJECT: SOUTH SULAWESI: MAKASSAR DRUG BUST UNCOVERS EXPLOSIVES, 
WEAPON AND AMMUNITION 
 
This message is sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
1. (SBU)  Makassar authorities are still investigating the 
discovery of explosives, an AR-15 rifle and many rounds of 
ammunition at a house belonging to a Mr. Sabri at a housing 
complex in a Makassar suburb according to media reports and 
Congen Surabaya contacts.  Makassar police -- acting on a tip 
from a narcotics informant -- thought they would seize 
narcotics, but discovered TNT, a rifle and live ammunition 
instead.  The purpose of the cache and Sabri's intentions remain 
unclear.  Sabri has told authorities that the ammunition is 
related to his late father's membership in a gun club.  Congen 
Surabaya sources have speculated that the TNT could have been 
obtained from one of the many mining sites in Indonesia. 
 
2.  (SBU) Fajar Daily Chief Editor, Sukriansyah, who has spoken 
directly with authorities investigating the case, told Congen 
Surabaya that South Sulawesi Police are still questioning Sabri 
about the origin of the explosives and AR-15 rifle.  What police 
thought would be a routine drug seizure turned into a much more 
dangerous proposition, said Sukriansyah.  During questioning 
following his arrest for marijuana possession on Tuesday March 
11, a man named Zulkarnain told police he obtained the drugs 
from Sabri.  Police set out to raid what they thought was a 
cache of drugs in Sabri's home the same day.  Instead of drugs, 
the March 11 raid uncovered what press reports described as: 
"one Air Shooter rifle AR 15 A2, nine TNT < high explosives, 35 
SME cartridges, 44, 5.56 mm, cartridges [Note: used for the 
AR-15 rifle, End note] an empty case for a mortar shell, 11 
empty cartridge casings, four live 7.62 mm cartridges and one 
rubber bullet, all intended for an AK-47 type rifle." 
 
3.  (SBU)  Chief of South Sulawesi Police, Inspector General 
Sisno Adiwinoto told local media that the police and Detachment 
88 are investigating the case.  South Sulawesi Police are not 
publicly speculating on any links between Sabri and terrorist 
groups and have released information that would suggest other 
sources for the cache.  Police have disclosed that Sabri said 
all explosives, the weapon and ammunition belonged to his late 
father Saleh Ibrahim, and were simply uncovered when the house 
was renovated in 2007.  Sabri told authorities that his late 
father was a member of "Perbakin" or (Persatuan Menembak 
Indonesia) the Indonesian Shooting Association.  Congen Surabaya 
asked a Makassar contact familiar with the case why a member of 
a shooting club would possess TNT.  The contact speculated that 
many members of Perbakin are Indonesian military members and 
police officers with access to weapons unavailable to the 
general public.  This might be the case with these weapons and 
Sabri's father might have obtained them through these channels. 
 
MCCLELLAND