City police bust seven gangs of bank robbers

JAKARTA (JP): Police have smashed seven gangs of robbers, who made off Rp 1.08 billion (US$456.42 million) from Jakarta and Bandung bank customers during November and December last year.

The Chief of the City Police Detectives, Col. Paimin Aboeamr said yesterday police had arrested 24 gang members.

"Some of the suspects were caught red handed and some were picked up in their hideouts in Bogor, West Java, and Solo, Central Java," Paimin said. The suspects committed crimes at 19 places in Jakarta and Bandung, he said.

"We could seize only Rp 48 million of the total cash. We also confiscated four motorcycles, a hand-made gun, some sickles, swords and knives from the suspects," Paimin said.

He said the suspects robbed bank customers in 19 places in Jakarta and two places in Bandung last year.

He said the gang membership was based on ethnicity. Members of the Madura gang hail from Madura, for example, he said. The other gangs were from Solo, Palembang, Bandung, Tangerang and Jakarta.

He said the gangs committed similar crimes. "They had usually drawn a map of the targeted banks or houses before their operations," he said.

"They rented boarding houses as stations. They gathered at the house before operations. They also kept their weapons in the houses," he said.

One suspect, Darmadi, told police he had robbed several bank customers at many places.

"I used the money to set up a restaurant in West Jakarta, but I'm bankrupt now," he said.

Another suspect said he and his friend robbed a company on Jl. Cempaka Putih in Central Jakarta. (jun)