MP private sought in truck holdups

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)