MP private sought in truck holdups

JAKARTA (JP): Tangerang Police are seeking a member of the military police who is suspected in a series of armed robberies of container trucks involving hundreds of millions of rupiah, an officer said on Monday.

"The member of the military police, Pvt. Maulana, was involved in a container truck robbery on July 1," Tangerang Police chief Lt. Col. Pudji Hartanto said.

He said the truck was carrying metal plates worth Rp 300 million (US$42,000) when it was robbed in Cikupa subdistrict, some 50 kilometers west of Jakarta.

"Police caught one gang member, Aslam Moreno, on Oct. 19, while Maulana escaped with the gang's three other members, Nardi, Taufik and Jasrip," said Pudji.

"Two other members, Naca and Nijan, were shot dead when they tried to resist arrest by police officers."

Police have also captured another gang member, Suryadinata, two middlemen, Mamat and Rohandi, and a buyer, Asan bin H. Aca.

"They were captured separately in Tigaraksa, Jayanti, Balaraja and Cikande subdistricts a few days later," Pudji said.

"Tangerang Police are now pursuing all the suspects, including Maulana."

Pudji said the group was also involved in another robbery on the Balaraja-Serang toll road on Oct. 14. They robbed a truck carrying 20 tons of cardboard worth Rp 160 million.

The truck belongs to PA Karya Marga, while the cardboard was from pulp and paper company PT Indah Kiat.

"The truck was reported missing on Oct. 14 when transporting card paper from the Indah Kiat factory in Serang, West Java, to Ancol in North Jakarta on the Merak-Jakarta toll road," PA Karya Marga executive Mugip said.

Pudji said the group planned the robberies thoroughly.

"They dumped the drivers and assistant drivers in remote areas, while the goods were unloaded and delivered to the middlemen who then sold them," he said. (41/05)