S

ecurity in Balinese waters has been tightened to prevent possible terrorists entering the island from the sea following a series of bomb threats in Bali, Jakarta and other places across Indonesia, a high-ranking official said.

Col. I Wayan Suarjaya, the commander of the Indonesian Navy command in Benoa, Denpasar, told reporters when welcoming the  KRI Slamet Riyadi warship at Benoa Port on Wednesday that any ship passing through Bali waters would be thoroughly checked to ensure it carried no explosives or other dangerous materials.

The KRI Slamet Riyadi is one of the Navy’s warships currently monitoring the country’s  maritime territories from Cirebon in the west to Papua in the east.

The ship, which is manned by 119 sailors, also patrols Bali waters.

“The Slamet Riyadi only docks here at Benoa once in a while for logistical needs and will embark soon to continue its duty,” the Navy commander said.

Suarjaya said the KRI Slamet Riyadi was among the Navy’s most sophisticated frigates in addition to the KRI Yos Sudarso and KRI Ahmad Yani.

For the planned visit by US President Barack Obama to Bali in March 2010 that was subsequently called off, the KRI Slamet Riyadi was docked at Benoa to provide security for the US president.

Last February,  President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on board the KRI Slamet Riyadi left Atambua for Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara province on a 7-hour trip.

Apart from its larger vessels, the Indonesian Navy also deployed smaller ships and boats to safeguard Bali waters from security threats including pirates, foreign fishing fleets and other suspicious ships passing through the area, as well vessels illegally encroaching on Indonesian waters.

“Bali has several small fishing ports that can be used as entry points for terrorists, human traffickers and criminals,” Suarjaya said.

Security at the small fishing ports is lax due to a lack of monitoring equipment and poor infrastructure.

“The fishing ports are used as ‘soft entry points’ lacking security checking procedures,” he added.

Previously,  Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Hadiatmoko confirmed that no terrorists had entered Bali via land.

“We have been closely monitoring all access points at the Gilimanuk and Padang Bai ferry ports  and Ngurah Rai International Airport over the last few weeks and found no indications of suspicious people entering the island,”
he said.

Lawrence Lilley contributed to this report. He is an intern at The Jakarta Post’s Bali office.