Jember Gold Shop Robbery Suspects Arrested in Less Than 24 Hours
Jember, East Java (ANTARA) – Jember Police arrested two suspects in a robbery that injured the owners of the Murni Gold Shop in Jember, East Java, less than 24 hours after the incident.
The two were arrested in Banyuwangi on Thursday (22 October) evening as they attempted to flee to Bali.
“We arrested both suspects in Banyuwangi, in a travel car heading to Bali. The arrest was the result of a swift operation by Jember Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit and the teams involved in the pursuit,” Jember Police Chief Senior Commissioner Alaiddin said at a press conference at police headquarters on Friday.
The robbery took place at the Murni Gold Shop on Jalan Sultan Agung, Kepatihan sub-district, Kaliwates district, Jember, on Thursday (22 October) morning.
The shop’s owner, Tan Liok Ton, also known as Lily, 70, suffered a head injury, while her son, Adi Kusuma, 50, sustained injuries to his hands and legs after being slashed with a sharp weapon by the suspects.
“The suspects are identified by the initials DBN and DS. They did not resist when arrested in Banyuwangi, so the Criminal Investigation Unit took them into custody and brought them to Jember Police headquarters,” he said.
Police have seized several items as evidence: a white car, a knife, a jacket, shorts and a hat worn by the suspects during the robbery, as well as CCTV footage from the scene.
“Some of the evidence was seized at the suspects’ home in Ambulu district, as they had returned there before fleeing to Bali. The suspects took the Singapore dollars as well,” he said.
The suspects did not take any gold jewellery because it had not yet been placed in the display cases at the time. They took only foreign currency, as the gold shop also operated as a money changer.
“He said the suspects carried out the robbery because they were burdened by debts of Rp80 million after losing money in online gambling. They had surveilled the Murni Gold Shop before planning the robbery,” he said.
The suspects have been charged under Article 479(1) and (2)(c) and (d) of Law No. 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code, which carries a prison sentence of between nine and 12 years.
The two injured victims are still receiving hospital treatment and are preparing to undergo surgery. Police have therefore not yet been able to take statements from them as the shop’s owners.