Bank robbers' godfather shot dead by police

Bank robbers' godfather shot dead by police

JAKARTA (JP): A man known as the godfather of bank robbers in
the city was shot to death yesterday while trying to escape from
police custody after showing them the hiding places of his gang
members.

Mukayan, better known as Kempes, 26, was shot in the head and
left thigh at around 1 a.m. yesterday on Jl. Haji Ali at Kampung
Tengah subdistrict, Ciracas, East Jakarta, said a police officer.

"He kept on running, ignoring two warning shots," city police
spokesman Lt. Iman Haryatna told reporters yesterday.

Iman said Kempes had allegedly led a number of accomplices in
robbing people who were leaving banks and carrying large sums of
money.

Kempes had a police record, listing him as a wanted bank
robber in several other cities in Java.

Kempes, who had been wanted by the Jakarta police since last
year, was arrested on the eve of Idul Fitri on Feb. 19 in a
relative's hometown of Kampung Tebu in Central Java, Iman said.

According to Iman, Jakarta detectives combed several areas in
the province looking for the suspect after police received tips
that Kempes was hiding somewhere in Central Java.

Police said the latest robbery committed by Kempes and his
accomplices was allegedly on Feb. 5, when he and five gang
members robbed a customer of the Bank Danamon branch office on
Jl. Raya Bogor, near the Pasar Induk market in East Jakarta.

The group threatened victim, identified as Edison Ginting, who
had just left the bank, and immediately left the scene after
relieving Edison of Rp 36.5 million (US$15,835) in cash.

"Based on the information we obtained from eyewitnesses, we
concluded that the group was led by Kempes, who was also believed
to have led other groups in similar crimes at several other
places," Iman said.

Knowing that Kempes might have spent his Idul Fitri holidays
in his hometown in Central Java, the Jakarta Police then ordered
a number of detectives to hunt down Kempes and some of his men in
the province two days prior to the Idul Fitri holiday.

Iman said the detectives looked for him many towns and
villages, including Demak, Batu, Kudus, Jepara and Tulakan.

At the Tulakan village, the Jakarta detectives were informed
about the presence of five of Kempes' people.

With the help of local police, the detectives managed to
arrest all five suspects on Feb. 19.

The five, identified as Ahmad Sabili, Usdi, Abdul Manaf, Lasi
and Karijan, aged between 24 and 29 years, later informed the
police about the whereabouts of Kempes, whom they considered
their godfather, Iman said.

Hours later, the detectives rushed to the nearby village of
Kampung Tebu and apprehended Kempes. He did not try to resist
arrest, Iman said.

The suspects were then brought to Jakarta for further
investigation.

In order to find five other members involved in the robbery of
Edison, Kempes yesterday was asked by the police to show them
their hiding places at Ciracas, Iman said.

"However, while the police officers were looking at the houses
of the suspects, Kempes took the opportunity to run away," the
spokesman said.

His body was taken to the morgue at Cipto Mangunkusumo general
hospital, waiting to be claimed by relatives. (bsr)