Marine murderers apprehended

City Police have arrested two of the five suspected robbers believed to have killed a member of the Indonesian Navy's Marine Corps late last month.

Detective Capt. Pujiwo from the Crime Investigation Directorate told reporters yesterday the two suspects confessed to unintentionally killing the 29-year-old corporal, a part-time night guard at the warehouse of PT Sinar Mas Andhika at Jl. Agung Karya IV Block D 8-10, Papanggo in North Jakarta.

"They said they were planning only to steal an Amano time clock at the warehouse but were discovered by Corporal Isyanto when they tried to unplug it," Pujiwo said.

Due to the imbalanced struggle during the early hours of Oct. 27, Isyanto suffered severe knife wounds to his face, back, hands and neck. A civil guard found him dead later in the morning.

Based on preliminary questioning, the two suspects, identified as M. Bakri, 19, and Hamid Asnawi, 27, sold the stolen time clock for Rp 2 million (US$915) that afternoon to a broker -- also being questioned, the detective said.

Their three other accomplices, identified as Syachroni, Sabilan and Syaikun, are believed to be hiding somewhere in Madura, East Java, explained Pujiwo. (bsr)