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ANDUNG: Local police played down threats circulated through BlackBerry Messenger targeting travellers with “B” (Jakarta) licence plates as a hoax.

The messages claimed that passengers in cars bearing Jakarta plate numbers should avoid certain routes through city at particular times on Saturday because Persib supporters were likely to seek revenge for the death of their colleague during a match against Persija last week.

Bandung Police’s traffic unit chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Hari Santoso said the text messages were not true.

“They are the routes where we will usually stay on guard when Persib has a match at Siliwangi Stadium,” Hari said in Bandung on Friday.

Persib will take on Kukar on Saturday in an Indonesian Super League match.

Three people, one of whom was a Bandung fan, were killed as supporters rioted at the end of Sunday’s match at Bung Karno Stadium.

Hari said he welcomed Jakartans to spend weekends in the city as usual.