JP/3/Bintaro/set lead 2 cols, 10 pts/12 MB

JP/3/Bintaro/set lead 2 cols, 10 pts/12 MB

Four arrested for three-in-one robberies

JAKARTA (JP): Police have arrested four men believed to have
committed three separate robberies in one night in South Jakarta
early this week.

The gang was believed to have made off with a Kijang minivan
during their three-in-one operation, along with a wide range of
electronics ad household items worth a total of approximately 50
million (US$23,280).

"Based on the preliminary questioning, the four also admitted
that they have ties with similar criminal groups outside
Jakarta," City Police spokesman Lt. Col. A. Latief Rabar told
reporters here yesterday.

The four were arrested at their respective houses Thursday
evening, three days after the burglaries had taken place.

Along with the suspects, the police confiscated several items
that were identified as stolen goods. This included the car, and
items believed to have been used by the gang in their operation,
including two motorcycles, two toy handguns, 28 bullets, knives,
sickles and numerous tools used to hotwire vehicles and force
open gates, doors and windows.

The gang was believed to have carried out their operations
using the two stolen motorcycles during the wee hours of the
morning on Tuesday, each in the South Jakarta, Jombang area in
Ciputat, Bintaro and at the Bintaro housing complex.

The four suspects, who are currently being detained at the
South Jakarta police precinct, are identified as Joy, 26, a
resident of Bintaro, Jeffry, 27, also from Bintaro, Iwan, 31, a
resident of Kebon Kacang, Central Jakarta, and Kasda, 23, a
resident of Pasar Induk, East Jakarta.

Police named Joy and Jeffry as the leaders of the group.

Allegedly, before the group would conduct their operations,
they would assign a person to stake out their targets. Later,
they would discuss the results of their survey and work out a
plan to break into the houses they had observed. The planning was
believed to have taken place at either Joy's or Jeffry's house in
Bintaro.

"They always travel to the scene of crimes riding two stolen
motorcycles with fake license plates," Latief said.

Police said that when the gang arrived at the scene, one of
them would use a crowbar to force open the windows of their
victims' houses, allowing his accomplices to enter and seize any
valuable items found inside.

"They took everything which they believed could be resold,
including cameras, television sets and shoes," Latief said.

The spokesman said that police are still searching for any
possible connection between the four suspects and other gangs in
or outside the city.

"They might have conducted similar crimes before," Latief
said.

He added that City Police headquarters has assigned some of
its officers to police precincts in the greater Jakarta area to
look into the identities of the four suspects at files available
at other offices. (bsr)