Toll road holdups top of the agenda for Jakarta police
Toll road holdups top of the agenda for Jakarta police
JAKARTA (JP): National Police chief Lt. Gen. Rusdihardjo
ordered Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi on Monday to
prioritize the handling of the alarming spate of armed robberies
on buses and trucks on toll roads in Greater Jakarta.
"I have discussed with him the urgency of prioritizing these
armed robbery cases," Rusdihardjo said after the short meeting
with Nurfaizi.
He was referring to several armed robberies targeting public
buses and trucks on busy toll roads connecting the capital and
towns in neighboring West Java in recent weeks.
The robbers, usually working in groups of at least two men and
armed with guns, sharp weapons and using a car, have also shot
dead people who resisted their demands.
Rusdihardjo, who is a former chief of the National Police
detectives directorate, did not reveal the full details of his
order to Nurfaizi.
He acknowledged the Jakarta Police might need extra time to
apprehend the robbers, who have been listed as the most wanted
criminals by police in Bogor and Bekasi.
"Lack of police detectives (in Jakarta) and the increasing
number of robberies have made it difficult for police officers to
solve the cases within a short time," Rusdihardjo said.
"It could take a while before we get the suspects in these
robberies."
In the past three months, police recorded at least nine of the
robberies on the Jakarta-Cikampek and Jagorawi toll roads.
On the public buses, the robbers initially pretended to be
passengers. When the buses were on the toll roads, they rose from
their seats and pointed their weapons at the driver and the
passengers.
In the case of the truck robberies, the robbers would
typically drive in a car to overtake the vehicles, usually
container trucks, to block their way. They rushed to the trucks
and threaten the crews, who they bound and dumped at the side of
the road. They proceeded to make off with the trucks and their
contents.
The most recent case was the foiled hijacking of an empty
truck in Setu, Bekasi, west of Jakarta, late on Saturday.
The truck, driven by Irwan Kurniawan, 29, was blocked by three
men on Jl. Raya Cimuning.
One of the men, Ade Nauli, 25, who tried to drive away the
truck, was caught and fatally beaten by Bantar Gebang residents
and local ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers.
Ade's two accomplices are still at large.
Irwan said the three men ordered him at knifepoint to get out
of the truck.
Irwan's screams alerted the ojek drivers and residents, who
chased after the truck.
More people gathered on the way and they managed to stop the
vehicles. Trapped by the mob, Ade was killed but his accomplices
escaped in the confusion.
It followed a fatal armed robbery on Friday which has puzzled
Bogor and Bekasi police detectives.
Five men wearing police uniforms and driving a van bearing
military license plates hijacked a container truck loaded with
socks for export.
The truck driver, Idris bin Mansur, 48, died after suffocating
from the gag put over his mouth. His assistant driver, Ichsan,
20, survived after he managed to loosen the gag and screamed for
help.
On Feb. 23, three unidentified men boarded Kramatjati bus
bound for Pekalongan and robbed the 42 passengers on board.
One of the suspects shot the bus conductor, Masto Parno, 34,
and a passenger to death, reportedly using an M-16 rifle. Two
other passengers were wounded by the rifle shots. The robbers got
off the bus on the Jagorawi toll road. (ylt)