Police arrest three in Rp 250m robbery of batik

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police Mobile Detectives (Resmob) arrested three men in connection with the December robbery of 15 tons of batik worth about Rp 250 million (US$33,400), an officer said on Monday.

Resmob chief Capt. Syafei identified the three men, who were arrested in three different locations in Tangerang within 17 hours beginning on Friday night, as Sutrisno, Samlawi and Muslim, and confiscated two tons of stolen batik as evidence.

"The robbery of 15 tons of batik occurred on Dec. 16 last year. The arrest took so long because this was a particularly difficult case," Syafei told reporters.

He said the 15 tons of material filled a 20-foot container, which belonged to PT Trisindo Asrik Karya. It was to be exported to Myanmar, via Tanjung Priok port in North Jakarta.

"While waiting for the container to be shipped, the driver, Ayub, and the assistant driver, Yadi, got the owner's permission to put the container in the Mega Sunter shop-house complex in North Jakarta," Syafei said.

"However, on Dec. 16 last year, the owner and Ayub learned that Yadi had run off with the trailer and the container."

Police are still searching for Yadi and another suspect, Dedy, who are both at large.

Detectives arrested Sutrisno at about 9 p.m. on Friday at his home on Jl. KH. Wahid in Tangerang, where two tons of stolen batik was also found.

During questioning, Sutrisno told police that he had bought the material from Samlawi.

Police arrested Samlawi at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, at his home on Jl. Pesantren in Ciledug, Tangerang.

Samlawi said he had bought 11 tons of material from Muslim for Rp 132 million at Muslim's home on Jl. Maulana Hasanuddin, Batu Ceper, Tangerang.

He added that he then sold the material to several buyers, including Sutrisno.

Police made their last arrest of Muslim at his home at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Muslim said he had bought the 11 tons of material for Rp 88 million from a man identified as Dedy at the man's home in Batu Ceper. (ylt)