Homeless thieves of cars' side mirrors captured
Homeless thieves of cars' side mirrors captured
JAKARTA (JP): Police announced yesterday that they have
captured eight homeless criminals, including five minors and a
fence, who were believed to have been behind a series of thefts
of cars' side mirrors at traffic lights during traffic jams in
Central Jakarta.
"They were very skilled at the crime. It was only a matter of
seconds for them to snatch a side mirror off a car," said Maj.
A. Sitanggang, deputy chief of Central Jakarta police precinct.
The suspects were identified as twin brothers Husen and Hasan,
both 16, Joko, 15, Iskak, 16, Sudiro, 15, Antoni, 22, Iskandar,
28, Karsono, 30.
The minors were said to be seen usually loitering around
either the Juanda railway station or the Istiqlal grand mosque,
Central Jakarta, while the adults operated at traffic lights in
the vicinity.
"Though they are acquainted with each other, the suspects
worked separately," Sitanggang said, adding that the thieves
could not be categorized as an organized gang.
According to Sitanggang the adults, who used to be vendors of
bottled drinks at traffic lights in the mayoralty, have
apparently dropped their profession thinking that stealing side-
mirrors was more profitable than peddling.
Sitanggang was speaking to reporters at a press meeting in the
company of Maj. Charles Marpaung, chief of the Central Jakarta
detectives, and Lt. Col. Latief Rabar, spokesman for the City
Police.
"Their targets are mainly cars driven by women. In order to
avoid arrest or attack by a mob, the suspects usually worked at
the moment the traffic light just turned from red to green so
that the victims could not stop and chase after them," Sitanggang
said.
The mayoralty police had received reports from the public that
some minors and adults had snatched away their cars' side mirrors
at traffic lights or on major roads in the mayoralty when they
were trapped in traffic jams.
Upon receiving the reports, Central Jakarta police set up a
task force to track down the criminals.
Twin brothers
Last week the task force members caught twin brothers Hasan
and Husen red-handedly snatching a side mirror of a "Baby Benz"
sedan on Jl. Samanhudi.
During the preliminary interrogation, the twin brothers said
they had committed the crime for three months and named all their
fellow thieves and the fence.
Based on the tip-off from the twins, police captured the rest
of the thieves over the following days and the 25-year-old fence
Irwan yesterday morning. They also found 60 car side mirrors in a
box at Irwan's home.
Irwan told police during the interrogation that he paid the
suspects between Rp 10,000 and Rp 15,000 (US$4.60 and $6.90) for
one side mirror and sold them on the black market for between Rp
50,000 and Rp 60,000 ($23 and $28).
Sitanggang as well as Latief deplored the reluctance of the
public to report cases to the police.
"According to criminal law, anyone who sees or experiences
crime is obliged to report it to the police. The report can be
made several ways, either through a phone call, going to a police
station, or informing officers on duty on the street. There's no
charge for that," Latief said
Thus far, Central Jakarta police has only received reports
about the case from five persons. (jsk)