'Ojek' drivers flock to police station 'to teach suspect a lesson'

JAKARTA (JP): A crowd of ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers gathered outside the East Jakarta Police headquarters on Jl. Matraman Raya in the early hours of Tuesday to demand that officers hand over a suspected motorbike thief in custody at the station.

The angry crowd had been informed by an unidentified person that the police were about to release the suspect, who is also accused of assaulting an ojek driver.

The station chief, Lt. Col. Syahrir Kuba, said the drivers were intent on dealing out summary justice to the alleged thief.

"They wanted to teach the suspect a lesson," Syahrir said.

No clashes were reported, but the appearance of the ojek drivers and a large crowd of onlookers gave rise to fears of trouble until scores of police and soldiers arrived on the scene at 4:15 a.m.

On Friday thousands ran amok in Karawang, West Java, attacking police stations, burning cars, destroying buildings and looting shops in the spillover from rumors a police officer assaulted a local.

A reliable source said on Tuesday that some members of the crowd set fire to wood and goods belonging to second-hand traders at Jatinegara street market, which lies opposite the police headquarters.

The source said that ojek drivers numbered in their hundreds, however, Syahrir insisted that the crowd was only dozens strong.

The crowd dispersed peacefully after being assured that the information they had received was without foundation. The police insisted that the suspect would be taken to court and tried in accordance with the law.

Syahrir said the suspect, identified only as Chr., was caught red-handed by residents of Pondok Kopi while trying to rob an ojek driver named Mukri.

"The suspect stopped Mukri in the Pondok Kopi area and pretended he wanted to be taken to a housing complex in Klender," the officer said.

However, before reaching the housing complex, Chr. hit Mukri on the head with a blunt object and tried to steal his motorbike.

Local residents, alerted by Mukri's scream, rushed to the aid of the stricken driver and detained his assailant.

"Some residents caught the suspect while others went to the assistance of Mukri," Syahrir said.

The local neighborhood chief then contacted police, who arrived to take the suspect away for further questioning, he added.

When his fellow ojek drivers heard what had befallen Mukri, they went out onto streets in convoy and drove to the police headquarters on Jl. Matraman Raya.

"The drivers told me that they had had enough of thieves and wanted to settle the matter in their own way," Syahrir said. (emf)