Police arrest 5 suspects in Rp 1b jewel heist
JAKARTA (JP): City police mobile detectives (Resmob) arrested five suspects in connection with three robberies over the weekend, including the Rp 1 billion (US$142,800) diamond and jewelry theft in South Jakarta last month.
Resmob chief Capt. Syafi'i identified the five suspects as Manfred Malessy, Suharya alias Nana, Rahmad, Heru Mardiapon and Dede Suhendar alias Banteng.
The Rp 1 billion robbery was allegedly carried out by Manfred, Nana and four other suspects -- Iwan, Hengki, Kelvin and Suheri -- who are still at large.
"Just this morning (Monday), we arrested a man who bought some of the stolen diamonds and gold jewelry from these robbers. We can't give you his name now. He's still being questioned," Syafi'i told The Jakarta Post at his office.
He said Manfred, Suharya and Rahmad were arrested in Poris subdistrict, Tangerang, on Saturday, while Heru and Banteng were apprehended in Ciherang village in the Caringin area, Bogor, on Sunday.
"We had to shoot Manfred in his leg and Banteng in his leg and hand. They tried to get away."
Heru is a suspect in an August robbery in Cideng, Central Jakarta, which police say he carried out with Manfred, Iwan and Hengki.
Banteng, together with two other still-at-large suspects Toton and Ace, is alleged to have been involved in the recent armed robbery of a minivan in West Jakarta's Pesing area.
Rahmad was with Manfred and Nana during Saturday's arrest. Police are investigating Rahmad's possible involvement in robberies carried out by Manfred.
Police confiscated several machetes, a 0.5 meter-tall safe, branded sunglasses, gold and a Daihatsu Classy van from Manfred's house in Tangerang.
On Nov. 12 a safe containing jewelry and Rp 8 million in cash was stolen from a house, which also served as a hair salon, on Jl. Pejaten Mas, Jatipadang, Pasar Minggu subdistrict, South Jakarta.
At least seven people, including two hairdressers, were at the house when the robbery took place at 10:30 a.m.
The owner of the house, R. Sunarti, 35, was not present.
No choice
Separately on Monday, Manfred said that between 1995 and 1997 he was a contractor in Tebet, South Jakarta, but by the end of 1997 he had become totally bankrupt, and saw no other way of obtaining money except by robbery.
"I couldn't live without doing this (robbing). It was the best way that I saw to make money. Lots of it," Manfred said.
Resmob officers tried in vain to get Manfred to confess to the whereabouts of an FN gun used in several robberies, before and after the salon heist.
When Manfred refused to talk, an officer gave him a pen and paper and told him to write down what he knew about the whereabouts of the gun.
When Manfred wrote the name 'Pace' on the paper, indicating that the gun was with Pace, the Resmob officer told him:
"Don't make up names. You still have your whole life ahead of you. We will treat you like us. You are a human being like us and deserve a second chance. Don't blow it by lying.
"If you lie, and we find out, I promise you big trouble. Be a good man and tell us the truth."
Following the robbery on Nov. 12, police say Manfred sold most of the gold and diamond jewelry to a man called A Kong, and continued to rob residences in Taman Kota, Puri Kembangan and Green Garden in West Jakarta, and Cideng in Central Jakarta.
Police estimate the total proceeds of the three robberies to amount to Rp 1.8 billion. (ylt)