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)