Navy battles crime Medan<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Belawan<\/p>\n
The Navy has announced that it will continue its two-year drive
\nagainst the increasing smuggling, piracy and illegal fishing off
\nthe eastern part of North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Commodore Slamet Subandi, chief of the Belawan Naval Base,
\nsaid here on Tuesday that, since the deployment of an anti-crime
\nteam in Dec. 6, 2000, the Navy has handled a caseload of 31
\ncrimes off the island.<\/p>\n
\"The Navy will continue its operations to bring violations of
\nthe law to a minimum on the high seas,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Mayor Irawan, a sailor and leader of the anti-crime Navy team,
\nsaid that his team has managed to foil four attempts to smuggle
\nluxury cars and fuel from abroad into the province, along with
\nseven fishing violations, and two piracy episodes.<\/p>\n
In all, a total of 52 suspects have been taken into police
\ncustody in connection with the crimes.<\/p>\n
Ten of the 31 cases have been already processed by the local
\ngovernment prosecutor's office, and would be brought to the
\ndistrict court.<\/p>\n
He said that the Navy has also detained five pirates suspected
\nof hijacking a passenger ship on the Tanjung Tiram waters off
\nAsahan regency on Oct. 11.<\/p>\n
The five -- identified as Ab, Kar, Adl, Ah and Sur -- will be
\nhanded over to the government prosecutor office for additional
\ninvestigation, he added.<\/p>\n
Irawan said that nine Acehnese people who were allegedly
\nmembers of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have been handed over to
\nthe Bukit Barisan Military Command supervising the province,
\nwhich covers Aceh and West Sumatra, for further investigation.<\/p>\n
The nine rebels were caught trying to smuggle 139 Acehnese
\npeople into Malaysia illegally, he said.<\/p>\n
He added that the Navy has also seized several Thai vessels,
\nalong with dozens of crew members, who were found fishing in the
\nprovince's waters illegally.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/navy-battles-crime-medan-1447893297",
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