Suffering high fever, abducted boy to be freed
Suffering high fever, abducted boy to be freed
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang
As the medical condition of a kidnapped eight-year-old boy from
Tangerang continues to deteriorate, his abductors have indicated
they are willing to release him.
The kidnappers, allegedly holding the boy because of
outstanding debts owed by the father to 150 people, called the
victim's parents on Monday to inquire about medication used by
the child.
"I will keep my commitment to release your boy. I can no
longer treat your son as his fever remains high," one of the
kidnappers told the parents.
The abductors vowed to keep chasing the father.
Also on Monday, the parents deposited Rp 10 million into a BCA
bank account belonging to Sayogo Hendro Suroto, one of the
alleged kidnappers, adding to the Rp 10 million deposited on
Saturday. The kidnappers, who have demanded Rp 4 billion,
promised to release the boy in Cengkareng, Tangerang.
However, the child had not been released as of Monday evening
and the kidnappers mobile phone had been switched off.
Police said on Monday that they surrounded an area in North
Jakarta where it was believed the kidnappers were hiding.
"We are now surrounding the place. We hope soon to catch the
kidnappers," a police source told The Jakarta Post.
The names of the boy and their parents have not been published
for security reason.
The boy's father earlier admitted that his company owed debts
of Rp 40 billion to 150 creditors.
The father has admitted to receiving threats from people
claiming to be acting for those owed money.
Two unidentified men grabbed the boy from his school while he
was playing with his friends, fleeing in a blue Kijang van.
Police say the kidnappings have nothing with the child
abductions in Jakarta, Bogor and Cianjur in West Java, which are
believed to be the work of a sadistic gang led by two brothers.
The brothers, identified as Jefri Saputra, 25, and Deni
Saputra, 21, have abducted at least six children. They brutally
raped and murdered two of the victims despite the parents paying
the ransom. Two other children are missing.
They reportedly called the parents of a 23-month-old kidnapped
girl to taunt them about her death.
Deni was reportedly arrested in Surabaya last week but Jefri
is still at large.
Many observers have criticized the police investigation in
comparison to other cases, such as the murder of a businessman
and his bodyguard.
The investigation of the assassination of PT Asaba's president
Boedyharto Angsono and bodyguard First Sgt. Eddy Siyet, from the
Army's Special Forces (Kopassus), on July 19, has received the
attention of a number of police, including their elite state
security unit.