Bogor detective chief shot in raid against gang of robbers

Bogor detective chief shot in raid against gang of robbers

BOGOR (JP): Bogor City Police Detective chief, First Lt.
Santun Marpaung, was wounded during a raid against a gang of
robbers known as "Safri Group" at Kampung Lemah Dalam in
Cibungbulang district in the early hours of Friday.

Santun survived a desperate struggle with the notorious gang
leader named Rojak, 40, who died from multiple gunshot wounds.

"Santun led 16 officers in the operation because these long-
time criminals are always armed and very dangerous. But, before
the officers reached their hiding place, they were encountered in
the village," Bogor City Police chief Lt. Col. Ade Husen
Kartadipura said later on Friday.

The road to the robbers' billet was slippery and narrow. After
starting the journey at 7 p.m. on Thursday the officers
eventually reached the Gunung Bundar area at around 1 a.m.
Friday.

One of the detectives on the operation told The Jakarta Post
that the officers were walking in the dark after leaving their
cars at the border of the village.

"We had to walk five kilometers into the remote area and there
was no light at all.

"Pak Santun was leading us but when we reached a small
security post, we saw the gang of six thieves strolling towards
our position," the officer said.

Santun quickly chased and nabbed Rojak, but his grip slipped
and Rojak got away.

"I kept chasing him and we fought before falling down into a
ravine," officer Santun told the Post and Media Indonesia daily
at the Bogor PMI hospital on Friday.

Both of them fell into a ravine deep inside the remote village
as a group of police detectives chased after the other gang
members.

Santun, accompanied by his wife Sgt. Maj. Indriningtyas, said
that during robberies, the gang always carried FN guns and
assorted other pistols as well as sharp weapons.

"I got shot in the back and got cut on my left wrist," he
whispered from his bed.

The other gang members escaped by fleeing into the darkness.
Several detectives, trying to help Santun, started shooting at
Rojak from above the ravine.

Rojak died with gunshot wounds in the right thigh, abdomen,
right arm and a slash wound in his forehead.

Bogor Regional Police chief Col. Edi Darnadi said on Friday
that it was still unclear whether officer Santun was shot by
Rojak or by a stray bullet fired by the police.

"The officers were shooting in the dark. The location of the
clash was in a thick brush. So the bullet which hit Santun could
have come from an officer's gun.

"We have to check it first.. the officers haven't had time to
check and study the area because of their pursuit of the gang,"
Edi said. (21/24/edt)