Alleged thief shot dead in Ciputat for resisting arrest

Alleged thief shot dead in Ciputat for resisting arrest

JAKARTA (JP): Police have shot dead an alleged thief believed
to be a member of the city's most notorious vehicle-stealing gang
in Pondok Ranji railway station in Ciputat, South Jakarta.

The shooting takes the death toll of people killed by the City
Police this year to 24.

City Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said the man,
identified as Tandi alias Charles alias Joni, 26, was shot twice
in the chest for resisting arrest.

"At about 11:50 p.m. on Wednesday, he tried to escape by
attacking officers with a log after being captured by the police
at his home in Bintaro, South Jakarta," Aritonang said.

Tandi was apparently a member of the vehicle-stealing gang,
known as "the Group of Nine", which operates in Greater Jakarta,
especially in Ciputat, Serpong and Kebayoran Lama.

Three other members of the gang were caught last November.
The arrested men, Zaidin, Harianto and M. Djamil are all
currently being tried for their alleged involvement in vehicle
thefts.

The South Jakarta Police confiscated from the gang a car and
two motorcycles.

Aritonang said the police were forced to take firm action
because criminals were becoming increasingly desperate and more
vicious.

"Many police officers die in the line of duty because of such
violent acts by the criminals. That's why we chose to defend
ourselves and make the necessary moves before it was too late,"
he added.

In a separate incident, officers of the City Police and
Jakarta Military Command caught seven out of 25 hoodlums
allegedly involved in the killing of a soldier identified as Cpl.
Gilvin Giminhas of the Military Police in Penjaringan, North
Jakarta.

Gilvin was killed after reportedly becoming involved in a turf
war with hoodlums in front of Diskotek Kaliber in Kali Besar
area, Tambora, North Jakarta.

Four of the seven suspects, who were arrested separately over
the last three days, were identified only as LM, NK, AP and JN,
the last considered the leader of the gang. The other three were
FR, YOH and BR.

"We were following clues from the victim's beeper. Then we
tracked some of the names mentioned on it," Aritonang added.

Jakarta Military Command spokesman Lt. Col. D.J. Nachrowi told
reporters that JN had confessed to being the mastermind behind
Gilvin's murder.

"He also admitted to having stabbed the victim three times.
We're currently searching for another member of the hoodlum
gang," Nachrowi added. (edt)