Seven armed robbers shot dead in shootout

JAKARTA (JP): Seven armed robbers were killed in a shootout with South Jakarta Police detectives in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta, on Thursday morning.

Five died at the scene in Petukangan Selatan and the others on their way to the hospital, South Jakarta Police detectives chief Capt. Rycko Amelza Daniel said.

He said they died from gunshot wounds to the head and body.

"The seven belonged to two notorious armed robbery gangs. There are 13 members in all. We caught Pasaribu, head of one of the gangs, alive and well, at their den in the Tangkas Permai housing complex, about 100 meters from here," Rycko said at the scene of the shootout on Jl. Pesanggrahan Mas.

Rycko identified the dead as Toman Manulang, Daniel Situmeang, Hendrik Sembiring, Diner Dasril, Sitohand Haibaho, Siambal and Albert Siregar.

He said the police conducted a three-month surveillance of the gang members, who were responsible for at least 10 armed robberies across the capital.

"Their trademark after each robbery? They tied up the owners and other members of a house they robbed with stove wick."

Head of the robbery division of the South Jakarta Police, First Lt. Firman Noorsy, who led the three-month surveillance, said the gangs established hideouts throughout the capital.

Firman said Thursday's incident began after police received a report at 3:30 a.m. of an armed robbery on Jl. Cabe VII, Pamulang, South Jakarta.

"The robbers used a stove wick, so we knew we had them. Just after I received that information, at nearly 4:30 a.m. a blue Kijang van arrived at their hideout in Tangkas Permai housing complex," he said.

"Seven robbers came out of the complex at about 9 a.m., got in the van and drove off. We followed them."

Apparently aware that they were being followed, the van driver cut across a muddy field to Jl. Pesanggrahan Mas.

"At this point, the van hit a house as Jl. Pesanggrahan is so narrow. They got out of the van and the shooting began."

Little chance

The shootout was witnessed by local residents on Jl. Pesanggrahan Mas who said the gang members had little chance.

The robbers were armed with one handgun, which had three .32 millimeter bullets, and a pen-gun, with only a single .22 millimeter bullet.

Of the three .32 millimeter bullets, two shots were wasted.

The shells of those bullets, one live .22 millimeter caliber, one .32 millimeter bullet and the guns were taken by the police as evidence.

In the van, which had been stolen, police found sharp weapons, including a machete and screwdrivers, and stove wicks.

Rycko said they were pursuing five other suspected members of the gang.

The Pamulang robbery occurred at the residence of Frans Johan, 56.

Rycko said the robbers incapacitated the security guard before breaking into the house.

"The robbers threatened the owners and the maid of the house, and made off with a silver Mercedes Benz and a Daihatsu, a cell phone, two television sets, a Rolex watch and Rp 500,000," Rycko said.

In another robbery, 20 men armed with sharp weapons broke into the home of a Saudi Arabian named Hasan Al Malik in Taman Latuharhary, Menteng, Central Jakarta, at about 2 a.m. on Thursday.

Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said on Thursday that the robbers threatened to kill Hasan with a knife. They stole US$2,000 (Rp 16 million) and a Rolex watch worth US$1,500 from the Saudi citizen.

Meanwhile, a 24-year-old man was shot in the thigh and robbed of US$400 and Rp 68 million by four suspects in a robbery in Sunter Agung, North Jakarta, on Wednesday.

Awaluddin was robbed after withdrawing the money from the Bank Central Asia branch in Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta. (ylt)