Extorters of ATM users arrested<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta police have busted three
\nmembers of a gang thought to have waged a year-long campaign
\nagainst automatic teller machine (ATM) users.<\/p>\n
One of the three suspects was shot in the leg while trying to
\nflee and the fourth is still at large as he escaped the Friday
\nnight raid, City Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
\"We have been looking for this group of four for at least a
\nyear. They have robbed at least 30 ATM cardholders by using the
\nsame intrigue, that is intimidating the victims and then
\nextorting their money,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The three suspects, identified only as AS, AL and Sud, were
\narrested while beating up Johannes Frans Sugandi in an empty
\nfield on Jl. Fatmawati, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The group of four first accused the victim of having crashed
\na car belonging to one of the suspects. They then forced the
\nvictim to pay for the vehicle's repair,\" said Aritonang.<\/p>\n
Preliminary police investigations revealed that Johannes was
\nwalking alone in the Atrium shopping mall in Senen, Central
\nJakarta, on Friday evening when one of the suspects approached
\nhim and accused him of damaging the gang's car, the officer said.<\/p>\n
The suspects quickly surrounded Johannes when the latter
\nattempted to defend himself against the allegation.<\/p>\n
\"But apparently the suspects, in some way, threatened Johannes
\nso the latter could do nothing to prevent them taking him to the
\ncrime scene by taxi,\" Aritonang said.<\/p>\n
He said that Johannes was then forced to hand over all his
\nthree ATM cards along with their Personal Identification Numbers.<\/p>\n
Aritonang refused to disclose the issuers of the ATM cards.<\/p>\n
\"While one of the gang members went to a nearby ATM to
\nwithdraw some cash, the victim was guarded by the other three
\nsuspects,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The suspects became angry when they found out that there was
\nonly Rp 15,000 (US$1.75) left in Johannes' account.<\/p>\n
They immediately attacked the man, Aritonang said.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, he said, a police patrol from the Cilandak police
\nsubprecinct saw the incident and fired a warning shot in an
\nattempt to halt the beating.<\/p>\n
AL and AS surrendered but Sud and the other suspect fled. Sud
\nsurrendered after an officer shot him in the leg but the other
\none managed to get away, the spokesman said.<\/p>\n
The suspects face a maximum of 12 years in jail if found
\nguilty of robbing and assaulting their victims. (cst)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/extorters-of-atm-users-arrested-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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