Indonesian police arrest key suspect in Australian embassy bombing

The Indonesian police have arrested a man who has confessed to plotting the car bomb attack outside the Australian embassy here on Sept. 9 that killed at least nine people, a local news website reported Tuesday.

Police arrested Iwan Darmawan alias Rois at a small train station in Merak, a town in the western tip of Java island, on Nov.10, reported Kompas online news service. It took three days for investigators to confirm the identity ofRois, also wanted for a role in the Bali bombing in 2002, Kompas said on its webside www.kompas.com.

An unnamed source at the police headquarters was quoted as saying that Rois was arrested along with five colleagues, but it was not clear if the five have links with any of the bombings.

"We have a recorded testimony from Rois confirming that he did involve in plotting the bombing in front of the Australian embassy. He also knows the source of explosive that was transported by a van to Jakarta," the officer said on condition of anonymity.

The officer said Police Chief Da'i Bachtiar has ordered his subordinates to keep the arrest confidential until Bachtiar himself briefs the president about the arrest.

When contacted, deputy chief of national detective Inspector General (police) Dadang Garnida declined to comment, it said.

Source: Xinhua