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)