ITEMS FOR MAKING EXPLOSIVES FOUND IN TAXI, CAMBODIAN DETAINED

IPOH (Malaysia), July 8 (Bernama) -- A Cambodian man was detained after
police found various items for making explosives in a taxi he was driving during
an operation, code-named "Op Padam Bersih", at the exit to Tapah toll plaza
Thursday.

Perak police chief Shukri Dahalan said the 41-year-old man, who was
alone in the taxi and heading to Tapah from Ulu Tiram, Johor, was arrested about
noon.

Police found four sacks of cement mixed with camphor, a sack containing
blackish powder, believed to be padi husk, two plastic sacks containing white
powder, five clay bowls, a plastic bag believed to contain sand and a plastic
contained believed to contain acid in the taxi, he told a media conference here
Friday.

He said police had obtained an order to remand the Cambodian man, who had
been residing in the country for 18 years and had obtained his Malaysian
citizenship, for four days for further investigation.

The seized items would be sent to the Chemistry Department for analysis, he
added.

In an unrelated development, the police, acting on information, went to a
Chinese cemetery at Kampung Sitiawan, Manjung, about 120km from here yesterday,
and found the entrance to the cemetery scattered with mineral bottles containing
petrol and wick.

Also found were a black plastic bag containing 12 bags filled with greenish
substance, believed to be fertiliser, four AA size batteries and eight T-shirts
with the word "kotor" (dirty) printed on them.

The police rushed to the scene at about 10pm after being informed that a
group of men, wearing yellow shirts, had assembled there.


--BERNAMA