Police arrest two alleged members of wanted gang
JAKARTA (JP): City Police detectives have arrested two members of the most wanted gang in the capital which has allegedly committed 120 armed robberies in the past four years in Java and Sumatra.
Deputy chief of the Jakarta Police Detective Unit Lt. Col. Bakat Purwanto told The Jakarta Post the two men, identified as Iwan, 32 and Jhoni, 25, were arrested separately here on Wednesday night.
"Iwan was arrested at his house in Kelapa Dua, Cimanggis. He was shot in his right thigh while resisting arrest.
"Jhoni was sleeping when police raided his place in Beji, Depok," Bakat said.
Iwan allegedly pulled a revolver and tried to shoot the officers who raided his home, Bakat said.
Preliminary police inquiries have revealed that the gang has probably been involved in 120 armed robberies, killed two police officers and wounded 15 civilians.
However the two suspects told investigators that they had committed only 30 crimes, Bakat said.
"During interrogation they said they forgot exactly how many crimes they were behind. They simply said: 'A lot sir ... 30 ... maybe.'"
Detectives confiscated a revolver and a fake gun, and nine live bullets, Bakat added.
Police are still tracing the origin of the guns.
According to Bakat, the two suspects are members of a notorious 10-member gang which operates mostly in Greater Jakarta but also across Java and in Medan.
Three of the group members were arrested last September.
According to city police sources, the gang leader, identified only as AT, and the remaining members are still at large.
Records
Among the latest robberies conducted by this gang, Bakat said, were last month's heists at the PT Tritama Valasindo money changer on Jl. Teuku Cik Di Tiro in Menteng, Central Jakarta, from which the gang took Rp 700 million (US$45,000) and at Bank Yama (Rp 100 million) in North Jakarta.
The gang also stole Rp 120 million from a Bank International Indonesia customer in Jatinegara, East Jakarta, last month; and Rp 35 million from the office of Aneka teenage magazine in Central Jakarta.
Bakat said the gang had been listed by the police as cold- blooded robbers who mostly carried out their crimes in broad daylight.
"They do not hesitate to kill or injure their victims."
"These two suspects (Jhoni and Iwan) are believed to be responsible for the killing of the two police officers."
First Sgt. Witono was shot dead while on an official assignment escorting staff of a private company transporting two kilograms of gold bars from Pasar Grogol to Roxy Mas in West Jakarta last August.
The officer was shot in the waist and stomach and his left hand was slashed with a machete.
The second officer, Sgt. Maj. Sumarto, was shot by one of the two suspects while he was raiding their hiding place in the small town of Krembung in Pasuruan, East Java, the following month.
Both suspects (Iwan and Jhoni) are currently being detained at the city police headquarters.
When asked why it took such a long time for the suspects to be arrested, Bakat said it was because they were very well organized and had a slick network.
"They specialized in armed robberies (of banks and financial institutions' offices) and are probably very good at money laundering, too.
"Besides, the fact that they were armed and very dangerous," he added.
Bakat also reiterated that the police will take good care of the two suspects.
"The police will act according to our code of ethics. We care about human rights." (edt)