Army private caught at the 'Post' for auto theft

Army private caught at the 'Post' for auto theft

JAKARTA (JP): An Army private was apprehended on Sunday while
attempting to steal a motorcycle from the basement parking lot of
The Jakarta Post's editorial office in Palmerah, Central Jakarta.

The suspect, Private second class Beni Arianto, 22, of the
Army's Air Maintenance and Supply Battalion, was set on by scores
of angry local residents, who attempted to burn the suspect
alive.

Beni was saved from the wrath of the residents by Post staff
and security guards, including those from nearby offices. Local
police officers eventually arrived at the scene and transported
the suspect to the Tanah Abang Police station.

The sole on-duty security guard at the Post, Sudasi, who
spotted the attempted theft at around 9:30 a.m. over the office's
security cameras, received injuries to his right temple and left
ear during a scuffle with Beni after confronting the suspected
thief.

Beni's three accomplices were able to flee the scene aboard
their two Honda Grand Astrea motorbikes. They were identified by
Beni as Anton, Andi and Sulaiman.

"They were my civilian friends who used to hang out at the
Rodeo billiard parlor in Pondok Gede, East Jakarta," Beni told
officers at the Tanah Abang station.

Major Tasmani, the chief of the suspect's battalion, could not
be reached for comment.

The attempted theft on Sunday was the second such incident at
the Post in the past several months. In the previous incident,
one of the suspects was also apprehended.

Beni and his three accomplices, using a specially modified key
known as a T-key, were attempting to steal two motorcycles parked
in the basement lot when Sudasi spotted them over security
cameras in the office's reception area.

Sudasi rushed to the basement where he was confronted by Beni,
who was attempting to steal a Honda Tiger motorcycle. During the
fight, the suspect twice jabbed Sudasi in the face with the T-
key.

Locals

Local residents and security guards from nearby offices rushed
to the scene after being alerted by Sudasi's screams.

The security guard was taken to Aini Eye Hospital in South
Jakarta, where he received several stitches before being
discharged.

After being questioned for nearly an hour at the Tanah Abang
Police station, Beni was taken to Jakarta Police Headquarters for
further questioning.

Beni claimed this was the first time he had committed a crime
and he did it because he needed money to send to his parents in
Padang Pariaman, West Sumatra.

Central Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Timur Pradopo said he
hoped his men would be able to arrest Beni's three accomplices.

Beni told officers at Jakarta Police Headquarters that besides
his Rp 600,000 monthly salary, he also regularly received some Rp
100,000 from each of his three accomplices, who he said were
notorious hoodlums in Pondok Gede.

"The money was so that I would keep my mouth shut," the
private said.

Separately, a police source said that over the past several
months city police had arrested several Army members for various
crimes, mostly drug offenses and auto thefts.

"Most of them usually get off easy once they are transferred
to Military Police Headquarters. What can we do? We just swallow
our pride.

"Drug cases are the worst and most frequent. Almost every
other week we arrest them (Army officers) at Kampung Bali in
Tanah Abang," the officer said.

The source added that corporal first class Sutrisno, an active
member of the Presidential Guard at the Military Police, was
arrested for the use and possession of two packets of putauw
(heroin) at Kampung Bali on Jan. 4 this year.

"We don't know where this man is now or whether he has been
punished accordingly or not." (ylt/bsr)