Police shoot one, arrest five

JAKARTA (JP): A man was shot in the hip and five others were arrested on Friday afternoon for alleged motorcycle thefts in the Kembangan area of West Jakarta.

Chief of Kebayoran Lama Police subprecinct in South Jakarta, Comr. Heri Wibowo, said the shooting and the arrests were made following an incident early on Friday morning when an officer of the elite National Police mobile brigade (Brimob) was involved in a robbery attempt of his motorcycle on Jl. Simprug Arteri, Kebayoran Lama.

"Chief Brig. Muhaimin was riding on Jl. Simprug Arteri at about 5 a.m. on Friday, when suddenly four people on two motorcycles sandwiched Muhaimin's motorcycle... it was kicked very hard and the police officer fell off," Heri said.

Muhaimin took out his gun and shot one man, who was later identified as Sugianto. However, he managed to escape with the help of three accomplices.

Muhaimin reported the incident to Kebayoran Lama Police, who immediately sent out officers to inspect the crime scene.

Heri said that all police precincts were alerted about the incident and by 2 p.m. on Friday the suspects were found in the Kembangan area.

"Twenty police officers surrounded a house on Jl. Hasan in Kembangan, forcibly entered it and arrested six people while they were eating," Heri told reporters on Friday.

"From their house, we confiscated a huge knife, two stun rods, three motorcycles and Rp 2.7 million (US$241) in cash, as evidence."

Separately, Sugianto, whose entire torso was covered with tattoos, told reporters that he was not a robber, but an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver. (ylt)