Police make arrests in truck hijacking

JAKARTA (JP): Tangerang Police detectives arrested five suspects in the hijacking of a container truck loaded with 35 tons of iron.

The arrests came about one hour after the truck was hijacked at about 7 p.m. on Friday, an officer said on Saturday.

Jakarta Police spokesman Supt. Muhammad Nur H. Usman said the five men intercepted the truck on the Tangerang toll road between kilometer 12 and kilometer 13, injuring the driver and his assistant in the process.

"The gang tied up the driver and his assistant and taped their mouths shut. The two were dumped on the side of the road and later found by locals," Nur Usman said.

The pair was taken to Tangerang Islamic Hospital. Based on a tip from locals, police detectives arrested the five suspects about an hour later, he said.

The five men, between the ages of 28 and 31, were identified as Sigit Heriyanto, Dedi Susanto, Bagus Eko Kurniawan, Arias Heri Mulyanto and Muhammad Iqbal.

"All of them -- except for Bagus Eko Kurniawan, who is unemployed -- are private employees," Nur Usman said.

Police are still looking into whether the five were part of a larger group of hijackers operating along the toll road.

The five suspects are being held at Jakarta Police Headquarters pending further investigation. (dja/edt)