WORLD> Asia-Pacific
Indonesia seizes 75 tons of explosive material
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-11-21 16:27

JAKARTA, Indonesia: Officials say they have confiscated 75 tons of an explosive material being shipped from Malaysia to Indonesia and are investigating possible links to terrorism.

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Customs official Nasar Salim says the ammonium nitrate was found on a ship captured in the South China Sea.

Ammonium nitrate can also be used as fertilizer, but Salim says 95 percent of the material imported into Indonesia is used in explosive devices. He says possible links to terrorists are being investigated.

Salim said Friday that 17 crewmen are being questioned while police search for the shipment's owner.

Indonesia has been ravaged by terrorist attacks in recent years that killed more than 250 people. Bombings at two Jakarta hotels in July killed seven people and wounded more than 50.