Police shoot dead three armed robbery suspects
Police shoot dead three armed robbery suspects
JAKARTA (JP): Police shot dead three men in East Jakarta on
Sunday for resisting arrest after officers tried to detain them
as suspects in a notorious series of violent robberies in the
capital over the last two months.
Jakarta Police detective chief Col. Alex Bambang Riatmojo
identified the men shot in Kampung Tengah, Kramat Jati, as
Sastra, 27, a resident of Kampung Tengah, Andi alias Endi, 30,
who lived in the Kramat Jati market area, and Kodir bin Sardar,
30, a resident of Janra village in Serang, West Java.
"The three were shot dead because they resisted arrest and
even challenged our officers with their weapons," Alex said.
He identified three detained men as Dulhajat, 27, who was shot
in his right leg, Budi, 28, and Asep alias Cecep, 30.
The six are believed to be members of the gang of armed
robbers suspected of committing at least 15 violent robberies in
Jakarta and other areas during January and February.
From robberies netting about Rp 2 billion, each member of the
17-person gang reportedly obtained at least Rp 50 million,
according to Dulhajat.
"They didn't remember the precise number of the robberies, but
from our calculation, it's around 30 or 40 robberies," Alex said.
The gang also committed robberies in several cities in West
Java and Lampung, he alleged.
"From the preliminary investigation, Dulhajat, Budi and Cecep
admitted their gang consisted of 17 members, but only 13 of them
are active," Alex said.
The other four were arrested earlier in separate raids. They
subsequently tipped off detectives about their accomplices'
hideouts, Alex said.
Officers immediately went to Sastra's rented house at 3 p.m.
when the men were playing cards.
Alex said the police and the suspects were involved in an
exchange of gunfire.
He declined to provide further details of the arrest, saying
they were part of a confidential police investigation.
"It's just a usual arrest made by our police detectives," he
said.
There were no details on whether any officers were injured.
Most recently the gang is believed to have robbed two traders
in their home in Pondok Gede, Bekasi, on Friday and made off with
Rp 43 million in cash.
It is also suspected in the robbery of a businessman's house
in Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta, in which items stolen
included a safety box, and a house in Pondok Kelapa in East
Jakarta belonging to then Jakarta Police detective chief Col.
Wagiman.
"We have not yet found the stolen goods as evidence, but we'll
still build the case," Alex said.
Police confiscated three pistols, several sharp weapons,
screwdrivers and crowbars during Sunday's operation.
The gang used a classic robbery modus operandi of breaking
front doors or windows of homes and threatening owners with
weapons. In most cases, they wounded residents to scare other
house members.
Dulhajat told reporters his gang operated from Monday to
Friday, but believed Sunday was not an opportune day for
robberies.
"We usually went around the city to check houses for our next
targets. We spent our money for entertainment on Saturdays."
All members were obliged to sleep well and not allowed to tax
themselves on Sundays, he added.
Dulhajat said most robbers relied on a traditional system in
gauging the best days to operate.
However, Alex said it was only by chance the police raided the
men on their rest day.
"It's just a coincidence that they were gathering in their
hideout and we made the arrests. We only knew about the days
calculation after we questioned them." (emf)