One killed and three arrested for toll road robbery

One killed and three arrested for toll road robbery

JAKARTA (JP): City police officers patrolling the Jakarta-
Cikampek toll road late on Monday night shot to death one member
of a five-member gang of street bandits who were caught red-
handed extorting money from taxi passengers.

Three of the criminals managed to escape, while the last
member was arrested after he attempted to flee, city police
spokesman Lt. Col. Edward Aritonang told reporters on Tuesday.

According to the officer, the five armed criminals were
extorting money from a Srimedali taxi driver and his two
passengers on the toll road when the police detectives came upon
the scene in their patrol car.

"All of the bandits brandished their weapons toward the
officers and ignored the warning shots fired by the officers,"
Aritonang said.

The criminals then attempted to flee in various directions
along the dimly lit toll road, he said.

"Two of them were caught while the other three fled,"
Aritonang said.

One of the two arrested suspects, Kuswanto, 24, was shot once
in the forehead when he attempted to attack the officers with a
sickle, the officer added.

The other arrested suspect, Slamet Riyadi, 20, was taken to
the Makasar police station in East Jakarta.

During preliminary questioning, Slamet professed that his
group had extorted money from three other vehicles, a gas truck,
a sedan and another taxi, before the police caught them.

Aritonang quoted the suspect as saying that they stopped the
speeding vehicles by forcing the motorists to slow down by
walking in front the vehicles on the toll road.

They then extorted Rp 500,000 from the driver of the gas
truck, Rp 200,000 from the driver of the sedan and Rp 50,000 from
the people in the taxi, the officer said.

According to Slamet, the gang waited on the side of the toll
road searching for victims, beginning at around 10 p.m.

It's still unknown how long the gang had been operating in the
area.

"We so far have only identified the three criminals who
escaped," Aritonang said.

The officer said police would not hesitate to shoot armed
criminals if they placed the lives of police officers in danger.

Marine's version

Late last night, Aritonang's version that the bandits were
arrested by the police was denied by the Marine Corps, which said
that the extortion was first spotted by another motorist and the
person who opened fire was a Marine soldier.

Corps spokesman Maj. Ibrahim Sadong said a number of marines
were called by the patrolling police officers who received the
tip-off for back up.

"When our personnel arrived at the scene, one of them shouted
'stop' at the bandits while others fired warning shots in the
air," Ibrahim said.

One of the marines, Private Suwito, had to shot one of the
crooks as the latter threatened Suwito with a sword, he said.

The death of Kuswanto brought the number of alleged criminals
shot to death by police to 12 since the crackdown on street crime
was launched late last month.

Less than 24 hours before the shooting of Kuswanto, the police
also shot to death three men who allegedly committed street
crimes in separate incidents around the capital.

Besides the 12 alleged criminals shot to death, the police
have so far arrested at least 112 suspected street criminals
since the crackdown began on Nov. 23.

The fatal shootings of the armed criminals have received
support from an activist, a prosecutor and a military officer.

Ori Rahman of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims
of Violence said that the strict measures could give a feeling of
security to Jakartans who are now living in fear due to the
escalating number of street crimes.

Ori, himself a lawyer, urged the police to continue their
stern actions as long as the shootings met standard legal
procedures.

"The officers should of course shoot the criminals to death if
their lives are in danger," he said.

Prosecutor M. Roskanedi of the Central Jakarta Prosecutor's
office said such actions were badly needed as shock therapy to
stop street crimes.

"Besides, the shootings will also lessen my job since I will
no longer need to bring more criminals to court," he said.

Roskanedi even suggested motorists run over suspected
attackers.

"It's self-defense. The courts will free motorists who kill
alleged robbers," he said.

Jakarta Military spokesman Lt. Col. DJ Nachrowi said the
military would continue to give its full support to the police
applying stern measures against criminals and rioters.

"We support the police effort to take firm action against law
violators such as looters, thieves and robbers. If you don't want
to be shot dead, you'd better stop your unlawful deeds," he said.
(emf/jun/ivy)