The Indonesian police disclosed on Wednesday that they had arrested a man, suspected of being close to Hambali, the top leader of terrorists in Southeast Asia.

"He was involved in the Pangandaran bombing case but also had links with Hambali because he has been acquainted with (Hambali) since long time ago," National Police Chief General Da'i Bachtiar told reporters at the health ministry.

The local media named the man Adrian Ali, but the police chief just mentioned him as Ali.

Bachtiar added that the police are still interrogating the man but had not concluded that he was involved in the bombing in frontof the Australian Embassy in Jakarta.

The chief of detectives of the National Police, Commissioner General Suyitno Landung, said that the man was captured by the police in June for faking documents.

"He was captured for faking identity documents in Sangihe (island)," Suyitno said on Wednesday at the health ministry.

But a Bali bombings suspect knew Ali and said that Ali was involved in Pangandaran bombing in December 2000, the chief of detectives said but declined to give the suspect's identity.

"Another suspect said that he (Ali) was suspected of being acquainted with Hambali and had links with Hambali. Therefore we still are investigating the case," he added.

Hambali was captured by the Thai and US joint team in southern Thailand in last August and is now in the US custody.

Source: Xinhua