Alleged murderers of Japanese man nabbed

JAKARTA (JP): Police have arrested three of four men wanted in the murder of a Japanese national in a taxi robbery in January.

City police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said Herman bin Murni, 29, Bakri bin Alyas, 31 and Dede Halimi Andika, 26, were arrested late Tuesday.

He identified Dede as the owner of the taxi in which Yamamoto, 32, was stabbed to death and a colleague sustained minor injuries on the night of Jan. 23.

"Actually, police have long believed that Dede was involved in the murder because two days after the incident we found his Mercury taxi at his home in Sawangan (just south of here)."

The cab was held at the Sawangan police subprecinct for almost six months until the police decided to transfer the taxi to Depok police precinct. Dede had remained in hiding.

"When he did not see his taxi at Sawangan (subprecinct), he wrongly assumed that it was safe to leave his hiding place and go home," Aritonang said.

Dede was caught at his house Tuesday at about 10 p.m. They later apprehended Herman and Bakri, the driver who picked up the Japanese men.

The men admitted to having worked together in the robbery which ended in Yamamoto's death and minor injuries to his colleague Okada, 49.

Another suspect in the case is still being sought, he added.

The incident occurred in the Cinangka subdistrict of Sawangan. The Japanese were employees of a joint venture company, PT Tusunaka Plastic Indonesia, in Bekasi, West Java.

Police said Yamamoto was the first foreigner to die due to crime this year.

Yamamoto died at the scene from severe stab wounds to his chest and neck. Okada suffered minor injuries to the palms of his hands.

The two men were robbed on their way home after visiting a karaoke pub in Blok M, South Jakarta. The robbers made off with Rp 3 million in cash and a gold ring.

In January, Aritonang said the taxi driver allegedly picked up his accomplices on the way to Kemang in South Jakarta. (edt)