Suspicious bags frighten residents in Bali

Two suspicious packages left in front of Kerobokan prison near a Kuta resort on Monday morning frightened local residents, but were discovered merely to be an American tourist’s luggage.

A black backpack and a laptop bag were found by an employee of Ebano Fashion Jewelry while opening the store at 6:30 a.m. He told the store’s owner, Ketut Kertiyasa, about the bags. Keriyasa reported them to the police at 9 a.m.

The police Gegana bomb squad rushed to retrieve the bags, taking them to police headquarters in downtown Denpasar for examination.

The bags belonged to US citizen Craig David McClendon, as stated in copies of his passport and international driving license found in the bags among other personal effects, but contained no explosives, police spokesperson Sr. Com. Gede Sugianyar Dwi Putra said on Monday.

“We still have no idea why he left the bags in front of the shop. He might have been drunk. We do not know yet,” Dwi Putra said.

Since last week, Bali has been shaken by finding suspicious bags in several strategic areas in Denpasar and Gianyar regency.

The first incident was on Thursday night when a brown plastic bag was left by an unknown person under a signboard in front of the Trijata Police hospital in Denpasar.

On Thursday, Gegana raced to Gianyar regency after police reported a plastic bag tied to an electrical pole in front of a budget hotel. Taking precautions, they held a controlled detonation of the bag.

“After the detonation, the bomb squad inspected the remainder of the package and found no explosives. The bag only contained wires and pliers,” Sugianyar said.

Last weekend, Udayana University criminologist Made Swardhana said the public was still unsettled by the incident in which the East Jakarta Police detective chief lost his hand while attempting to defuse a book bomb sent to liberal Islamic activist Ulil Abshar Abdalla.

“It is quite natural for the public to be gripped by anxiety and fear in the face of continuing terror in this country,” he said.

Bali residents experienced deep wounds when terrorists bombed the island in October 2002 and October 2005, claiming hundreds of lives.

Governor Made Mangku Pastika insisted that Bali would be on high alert, ready to anticipate any security threats, including bombs.

“Bali has always been a vulnerable target as it is an international tourist destination. We will tighten security measures on the island’s major entry points and strategic tourist sites to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors,” the governor said.

After the series of mail bomb in Jakarta, Bali heightened security at Ngurah Rai International Airport and ferry ports Gilimanuk and Padang Bai, which connect Bali with Java and Lombok islands.

Hotels and entertainment businesses were also required to tighten security.