Police arrest two other gangs of container thieves
JAKARTA (JP): City police headquarters detectives have arrested six key members of two groups of container thieves in an ongoing crackdown on port crime.
The police arrested three members of the six-strong Maman gang, who are suspected of the theft of a container loaded with tires to be exported last month.
They also captured three members of the nine-strong Doglong gang, who are believed to have stolen at least eight containers loaded with various kinds of goods over the past six months, mostly in Pandeglang, West Java.
"We captured the six members of the two gangs on Friday morning at Maman's house. They happened to be staying with him at that time," Maj. Endang Sunjaya, chief of the theft unit at city police headquarters, announced yesterday.
The three members of the Maman gang were identified as ring- leader Pujiman, alias Maman, 29, a resident of Koja district, North Jakarta; Hendrik Fernando Simanjuntak, 40, a resident of Jl. Swasembada Barat, North Jakarta, and Alex, 30, a resident of Panggang Island, in the Seribu Islands, North Jakarta.
The members of the Doglong gang were identified as Sudama, alias Doglong, who is also known as Gandeng, a resident of Padalarang, West Java; Haryono, alias Tono, 30, a resident of Gang Lapor, North Jakarta, and Supriatna, alias Brewok, 35, a resident of Jl. Tanah Merdeka, North Jakarta.
"Nine members of the gangs are still at large, three belonging to Maman group and six of Doglong gang," Endang said.
The Maman gang is suspected of hijacking a truck and stealing the container it carried on June 9. The container, loaded with 1,200 car tires, was owned by PT Gajah Tunggal. It was on the way from Tangerang to Tanjung Priok when thieves took it over.
The Doglong gang is accused of stealing a truck loaded with thread, another truck carrying instant noodles, a truck loaded with shoes, a truck of toys, a truck of gas stoves, and a truck loaded with plastic bags, as well as 50 kilograms of gold from a jewelry shop, all in Padalarang, West Java, over the past six months.
"We have sent Doglong to the West Java police," said Endang.
Hitchhiking
Endang said Maman's gang successfully hijacked the tire container truck, driven by Budiman Sofyan, 42, with his conductor Eddi Sugiarti, 25, by having gang members pretend to hitch a ride on the truck.
One of them was said to have hitched a ride when the truck was about to pull onto the Serang toll road. Two other gang members asked for a ride when the truck was in the Cibitung area on the Cikampek toll road.
The three then hijacked the truck and left Budiman and his conductor tied up in a marsh in Bekasi.
Police reports say the truck was then driven to an area in Tomang district, West Jakarta, where the suspects sold the stolen tires to a fence named H. Marno. The latter sold the stuff in his shop in Bandung.
Police managed to track the gang down after more than one month of hunting. (jsk)