Jakarta criminal suspected in East Java murder spree
Jakarta criminal suspected in East Java murder spree
JAKARTA (JP): East Java Police chief Maj. Gen. M. Dayat has
alleged the person behind the continuing murder spree in Malang
regency, East Java, is a wanted criminal from Jakarta.
"We still don't know the motive but we're pretty sure that the
provocateur is a man from Jakarta who has been in and out of jail
three times and is currently at large," he said here on Saturday
night.
Antara reports that eight people have died in four separate
attacks in the regency since Dec. 9. The murders occurred in
Pagak district, Ampelgading district, Kalipare and Sumbermanjing
Wetan in South Malang.
The killings appear to emulate those of alleged black magic
practitioners in Banyuwangi last year.
Without elaborating, Dayat said the murderers were paid Rp 3
million by the suspected mastermind from Jakarta.
When asked what preventive measures were being taken by
police, Dayat said his men were doing their best, bearing in mind
the size of the area that needs to be secured.
"After the three cases around Kalipare we deployed a company
of police to the area, but then one occurred again Pagak," he
said.
"You know its difficult for us because the distance between
Kalipare and Pagak is about 30 kilometers in and out of forests".
He called on local communities to organize watches and not to
be easily provoked, adding that he did not want to see a
recurrence of the dreadful events which occurred in Banyuwangi.
"The incidents in Malang in my opinion are still purely
criminal cases, not like those in Banyuwangi. We'll keep on
investigating," he remarked.
Most of the victims are known to be farmers; one is a Koran
teacher.
At least 73 people have been questioned in the case.
However, some of these were questioned because they were
suspected of damaging a local police station after police tried
to question suspects.
Meanwhile East Java Deputy Police Chief Brig. Gen Sudirman Ail
said police have detained four suspects in connection with the
murders.
He said another three were at large.
Ail said police are being assisted by 60 members of the
security force from the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muslim Organization
to help maintain security and gather information.
Malang and Banyuwangi are NU strongholds, an organization
which until recently was chaired by President Abdurrahman Wahid.
More than a hundred people were murdered in the Banyuwangi
killing spree. Many of the victims were local Muslim preachers
killed by mysterious groups.
The killings have never been fully solved. (jun)