Police chase end two-day kidnap drama<\/p>\n
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Santoso, a 54-year-old auto shop owner, could never have imagined
\nthat he would be a victim of a kidnapping by one of his
\ncustomers.<\/p>\n
On Monday at around 7 p.m. he had just closed his shop in
\nSawah Besar, Central Jakarta, which mostly sells spare parts for
\nAustralia's Holden cars, when six men approached and forced him
\ninto a waiting car. Santoso was later taken to a house in
\nCibinong, Bogor regency, and chained to the small lavatory wall
\nin the house for almost two days.<\/p>\n
One of the main suspects, Farid Rafli, 40, a long-time
\ncustomer at the shop, allegedly called the victim's wife and
\ndemanded that she pay Rp 300 million (US$35,714) in cash as
\nransom. They threatened her get the money quickly or she would
\nnever see her husband alive again.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday evening, Mrs. Santoso contacted Farid who told her
\nto leave the money just after midnight, wrapped in a black
\nplastic bag, near the Golden Hotel on Jl. Gunung Sahari Utara,
\nCentral Jakarta. Unbeknownst to the kidnappers, she also
\ncontacted the Jakarta Police for help.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Santoso and her son took a taxi early on Wednesday at 1
\na.m. to the designated location with some police detectives
\ntailing them.<\/p>\n
Farid, who already suspected that the wife might contact the
\npolice, called her twice to change the location. Finally, he told
\nher to stop at Jl. Thamrin, near the Hotel Indonesia traffic
\ncircle.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Santoso and her son walked toward the Sudirman railway
\nstation, formerly known as Dukuh Atas, around a kilometer from
\nthe traffic circle. She left the black plastic bag full of money
\non the sidewalk in front of the station, as ordered by Farid.<\/p>\n
But Farid's luck ended as the detectives, who had been hiding
\nnearby, started firing their guns just when he was about to
\nsnatch the bag.<\/p>\n
He tried to flee but the detectives caught him near the
\ntraffic circle at about 2:30 a.m.<\/p>\n
\"He was running fast,\" said detective First Insp. Danang.<\/p>\n
The police detained Farid at the city police headquarters and
\nstarted questioning him. They also returned the money to Mrs.
\nSantoso.<\/p>\n
Based on the information gleaned from Farid under
\ninterrogation, the police took Mrs. Santoso and son to Farid's
\nhome in Cibinong and found Santoso still chained to the wall.<\/p>\n
\"He was in fairly good condition when we rescued him,\" Danang
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Farid told reporters that his kidnapping gang had fed him
\nwell.<\/p>\n
\"We gave him bread, meat soup, water and even clean clothes.\"<\/p>\n
He admitted that his gang had initially just planned to rob
\nSantoso's shop. But there was only Rp 80,000 in the petty cash
\nbox.<\/p>\n
\"After having a discussion, we agreed to kidnap him.\"<\/p>\n
He claimed he once also kidnapped a man from Kebon Jeruk, West
\nJakarta, in March 2001, cashing in on Rp 120 million from the
\nransom payment. He also admitted that he had served 15 years in
\nprison for murder in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n
The police are still searching for Farid's five accomplices.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-chase-end-two-day-kidnap-drama-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }