Police Match Data and Evidence in School Weapons Case, Use DNA to Identify Suspects

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Police have conducted additional checks, namely matching data and evidence of weapons at a private school in Pondok Pinang, South Jakarta, on Monday (10/8).

“Investigators together with the Criminal Investigation Agency’s Forensic Laboratory Centre (Puslabfor Bareskrim Polri) conducted additional checks on Monday (10/8) at around 14.00 WIB in three rooms, namely the former chairman’s office, the former secretary’s office, and the facilities and infrastructure room,” said Polda Metro Jaya Head of Public Relations, Commissioner Budi Hermanto, when confirmed in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Budi also explained that from the examination of witnesses, the existence of the air rifles stemmed from a cooperation agreement between the school foundation and PT Lokta regarding an air rifle shooting sports cooperation.

However, investigators are still looking deeper into the legality, ownership, storage, and use of these items.

From the additional check, one airsoft gun and 117 bullets of various calibres were found, with details of 21 rounds of calibre 32 S&W, 19 rounds of calibre 380 Auto, 34 rounds of calibre 38 Special, 18 rounds of calibre 22 WMR, and 25 rounds of calibre 9x19 mm Luger.

“In addition, 166 calibre 22 shell casings, 5 9 mm magazines, 2 recoil springs, 2 bottles of green gas, 2 CO2 canisters, 2 pellet containers, as well as a number of spare parts and accessories were found,” Budi said.

“All the evidence that has been recorded and matched will subsequently be handed over to the Polda Metro Jaya Firearms and Explosives Supervision Sub-Directorate (Wasendak) for the safekeeping process and further technical legality checks,” he stated.

Police are identifying individuals who entered or had contact with the rooms suspected of being used to store weapons at a school in South Jakarta through DNA sample testing.

“DNA from the three rooms has all been sampled, the aim being to check who entered or who has ever been contaminated in those three rooms,” said South Jakarta Metro Police Criminal Investigation Unit Head, First Inspector Alpino de Tech, in Jakarta on Monday (10/8).

Alpino said officers have taken all DNA samples from the three rooms to determine the parties who have been in or contaminated the rooms.

The three rooms are the former chairman’s office, the secretary’s office, and the foundation’s facilities and infrastructure room.