Tangerang mobs kill five thieves

JAKARTA (JP): Five men believed to be notorious thieves specializing in stealing motorcycles in Tangerang were beaten to death by angry residents in three different incidents in the early hours of Sunday.

Tangerang Police chief Lt. Col. Pudji Hartanto Iskandar confirmed the cases but did not reveal whether the police had arrested any of the locals.

Pudji was quoted by Antara as saying that the five victims were Hidayat, Hasanudin, Haris I Kusuma, Ipong Kijen and Daniel, aged between 18 and 36.

The first two were identified as residents of Labuhan Maringgai district in Lampung, Sumatra, while the others "lived in the area", the officer said.

The five victims were caught red-handed attempting to steal motorcycles, Pudji explained, adding that they were all on the local police's most wanted list.

"Daniel, for instance, had been under surveillance for quite a long time because locals feared him.

Our records state that he had stolen at least eight motorcycles from residents," the officer said without further explanation.

Daniel was shot in the leg and then pummeled to death by Jatiuwung residents after he beat a motorcycle driver on Jl. Bayur and tried to speed away with the bike at around 1:20 a.m. on Sunday.

According to Pudji, the suspect approached his victim, a factory worker, and pretended to ask for an address in the area.

"The victim who had just left work hastily stopped his motorcycle and prepared to assist Daniel when the latter suddenly struck him and grabbed the bike," the officer said.

A police officer witnessed the incident and fired warning shots to stop Daniel. Realizing that these were being ignored, the officer aimed his gun at the suspect's leg.

"Aware of the incident, locals rushed out of their houses and badly beat Daniel. The dying suspect finally lost his life on the way to Tangerang General Hospital," Pudji said.

Blockade

Almost at the same time, residents of Pekayon village in Cipondoh got on their motorcycles, and chased two men -- Hidayat and Hasanudin -- who they saw stealing a motorcycle that belonged to a local, he said.

The two were blocked and then attacked by the angry mob, Pudji added.

The police arrived at the scene several minutes later but only in time to take the two dying suspects to the hospital.

Hidayat and Hasanudin both died a few minutes after they arrived at the hospital, he said.

At 2:10 a.m., residents of Kayu Gede village in Serpong attacked Haris and Ipong, who were also spotted grabbing a motorcycle, Pudji said.

The deaths of the five criminals by mobs in a single day in Tangerang, west of here, is thought to be the first time so many killings have happened in the area.

Officer Pudji strongly urged the local residents to stop enforcing such "jungle law" as it would leave the police in no position to investigate thefts.

He stressed that people should immediately hand over anyone caught stealing to the police.

"If the thieves die, the police cannot build the case because the link has been cut," Pudji said. (bsr)