Print Shop Owner Suspected of Masterminding Employee Confinement in Central Jakarta

Police have arrested seven individuals involved in the kidnapping of three employees of a printing business in the Senen area, Central Jakarta. The seven suspects have been officially named as detainees, identified by the initials MML (40), AI (41), S (48), AYL (29), NHJ (42), and two women, CML (37) and II (36).

“These perpetrators have been designated as suspects,” stated Central Jakarta Metro Police Chief, Kombes Reynold EP Hutagalung, during a press conference on Monday (29/6).

Reynold explained that the suspects carried out extortion against the three victims through kidnapping and physical abuse. “They extorted the three victims by means of confinement and even physical assault, including the use of shackles or binding the victims’ legs with equipment to prevent them from leaving or moving,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of Criminal Investigation at Central Jakarta Metro Police, AKBP Roby Heri Saputra, explained that the suspects played different roles in the crime. Roby revealed that suspect MML, the owner of the printing business, was the mastermind behind the kidnapping and physical abuse.

“Mr MML, as the owner of the printing shop, came up with the idea to use shackles or hostage-taking and to chain the victims’ legs,” Roby said.

Furthermore, suspect AI was responsible for assaulting the victims and contacting their families to demand 50 million IDR per person under MML’s orders. Suspect S was tasked with chaining the victims’ legs and contacting families to demand compensation of 50 million IDR each, also acting on MML’s instructions. Suspect AYL played the role of threatening the victims, specifically threatening to break their legs if the 50 million IDR compensation was not paid.

Suspect NHJ assisted by constructing the tools used for the shackles upon the orders of MML, the owner of ‘Mau Print’. Suspect CML acted as maintenance and was responsible for preventing office boys from approaching or providing food to the victims. Finally, suspect II served as the administrator who received the 50 million IDR transfers from the victims’ families.

The suspects face charges under Article 482 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) with a threat of 9 years in prison, and/or Article 446 of the KUHP with a threat of 7 years, and/or Article 471 of the KUHP with a threat of 6 months in prison.

The kidnapping incident targeted three employees of a printing business in Senen, Central Jakarta. The police acted swiftly, successfully securing two individuals believed to be the primary perpetrators. During a raid on the shop-house (ruko) used as the confinement site, police found the three victims in a dire condition. Their legs were not only handcuffed but also bound with hard materials such as steel cables and iron chains.

“At the crime scene, victims Tegar Saputra and Muhamad Rafli Jaelani were found with their legs handcuffed and bound with steel cables, while victim Adit Saputra was handcuffed and bound with iron chains,” said Senen Police Chief, Kompol Widodo Saputro, on Sunday (28/6).

Based on initial investigations, the motive behind the kidnapping was triggered by allegations of theft directed at the three victims. The perpetrators exploited the situation to extort the victims’ families, demanding ransoms of tens of millions of rupiah. “They demanded 50 million IDR per person from the families, with an agreement that the employees would be released once the money was paid to the company,” he added.