TV program helps solve robbery case

TV program helps solve robbery case

JAKARTA (JP): A robbery allegedly carried out by at least seven people in Bekasi was uncovered after a victim saw her knife, stolen by the bandits and used in an attempted robbery, shown on a television program.

According to City Police spokesman Lt. Col. Bambang Haryoko, the failed robbery took place on Saturday in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta, with four of the suspects being arrested and several items of evidence, including the knife, seized.

The arrest was televised in the evening by RCTI and all the material evidence was exhibited.

Mrs. Sutiyem Sunarjo, 30, whose house was robbed a day earlier, was watching the program and saw her knife being displayed, Bambang told reporters yesterday.

She immediately reported to a nearby police station.

Headed by Bekasi senior detective First Lieutenant I Wayan Sugiri, a team came to the Kebon Jeruk police subprecinct office in West Jakarta to further interrogate the alleged robbers being detained.

According to Sutiyem, a group of people broke into her house on Friday morning and stole motorcycles, 2 television sets, Rp 800,000 (US$361) in cash, jewelry worth Rp 20 million, a computer set, a hand phone and a personal pager.

After intense questioning, the four suspects allegedly confessed to also having burglarized Sutiyem's house in Bekasi, over 30 kilometers east of the city.

Among the stolen goods seized by the police was the cash and a television set.

Bambang said that police are still seeking three other members of the group which participated in Friday's robbery in Bekasi.

The four detained suspects were identified as Eko Suyanto (the ringleader), Zamroni, Samhudi and Suripan, while the fugitives are Iyus, Bagong and Harno. All of them are in their 30s.

According to Bambang, the group usually carried out robberies early in the morning by forcing entry into a house either through a window or door and threatening the household with guns. (bsr)