BBC News Online: World: Asia-Pacific

'Bunker under Tommy Suharto's home'

"We picked up georadar signals of a bunker below Tommy Suharto's house. We are going to try to open it today," a police source told AFP news agency.

"If we don't find the entrance, we will force our way in, using special tools," he added

Tommy Suharto, the youngest son of the former president, went on the run in November after being sentenced to 18 months for corruption.

Tunnels

Police told the BBC they had not determined whether the bunker was linked to a network of tunnels that is reported to connect the homes of the Suharto family.

Another police source told the astaga.com news service that several bunkers had been detected, 15 metres below the ground.

"All the rooms are interconnected. Now we're trying to locate the door that leads into the bunkers," he was quoted as saying.

Fiasco

Tommy Suharto, 38, went on the run at the beginning of November after he was convicted for his role in an $11m property scam.

Prosecutors turned up at his home on 3 November to take him to jail only to discover he had slipped out hours before.

A massive international manhunt has been launched, but Tommy has continued to evade capture despite the fact he is one of Indonesia's most recognisable faces.

The search took another farcical turn a fortnight ago when it was said police had finally arrested him only to allow him to escape again.

Police have already searched the homes of former President Suharto and other family members several times in their attempts to track down Tommy.