Police shoot dead two 'Red Axe' members

JAKARTA (JP): Two more members of the notorious 'Red Axe' street gang were shot dead on Jl. Jend. Suprapto, Cempaka Putih district, Central Jakarta early morning on Saturday for robbing bus passengers.

City Police detectives chief for general crimes Tito Karnavian said the suspects, identified as Ronald Sinaga, 19, and Robin Tunggal, 22, and their two accomplices robbed passengers on a bus plying the Senen-Pulogadung route.

Tito said the robbers, who swung their red axes at passengers to frighten them, managed to grab two gold necklaces and a gold bracelet from two female passengers.

The victims shouted for help after the robbers jumped out of the bus.

Police officers who happened to be in the area then chased the men. Police shot Ronald and Robin in the back after firing warning shots, Tito said.

The suspects died on the way to the Cipto Mangunkusumo general hospital.

The two other robbers managed to escape.

Police earlier this week shot dead three members of the gang which usually operates around Senen Railway station in Central Jakarta. The three were gunned down for resisting an arrest.

The police also arrested six other gang members in a raid on a house on Jl. RE Martadinata, which was believed to have sheltered the robbers.

Besides robbing bus passengers, the gang members armed with red axes also rob motorists at traffic lights in the area.

City Police chief of detectives Sr. Comr. Harry Montolalu had earlier blamed the extensive media coverage for the increasing red axe-armed robberies.

"Particularly the TV media has extensively covers this type of robbery. Red-axe robberies have become very popular lately and robbers find this to be another easy method to make money," Harry told reporters.

He added the police had never found evidence that the robbers were of the same group.

"Red-axe robberies are most prominent in traffic light areas, where they wait for motorists to stop during traffic, break open the car windows and seize cellphones mostly. I urge all city residents to report this kind of behavior to the nearest police station or to city police."

He said the city police headquarters had ordered officers not to hesitate to shoot such robbers who dare to escape. (jun/ylt)