Bogor police arrest seven alleged robbers

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post/Bogor

Bogor Police arrested on Friday seven alleged members of a gang thought to be responsible for a string of violent robberies in Bogor regency and municipality.

The head of the general crimes unit at the Bogor Police, Adj. Comr. Budi Sartono, said the suspects, who were armed with a revolver and sharp weapons, were arrested in Pelabuhan Ratu, Sukabumi regency.

The suspects were identified as Agus Suyanto, 26; Sarkum, 33; Aam Abdilah, 23; Nuryadin, 27; Lukman, 23; Nursin, alias Ompong, 31; and Ade Kurniawan.

During the arrests, officers were forced to shoot Agus, Nursin and Ade in the legs when they attempted to escape, according to Budi.

Nursin -- the alleged leader of the gang -- and Ade are residents of Linggar Mukti village, Klapanunggal district, Bogor. The five other suspects are residents of Sukabumi regency.

Three other suspected member of the gang, who were not identified, are still at large.

Budi said the gang left many of its victims injured.

The latest incident blamed on the gang occurred on May 10, when Sumanta, a poultry breeder in Linggar Mukti village, was robbed and shot.

Sumanta, who was shot in the stomach, is hospitalized at Cipto Mangunkusumo in Central Jakarta.

The robbers made off with a television, a cellular phone, Rp 6 million (US$631.58) in cash, 80 grams of gold jewelry and a Toyota Kijang minivan from Sumanta's house.

During the arrests on Friday, police seized several pieces of evidence, including car and motorcycle ownership documents, sharp weapons and a revolver.

The revolver was identified as a police-issue firearm.

Budi said the police were investigating how the weapon came to be in the possession of the suspects.