Two arrested for motorcycle thefts
Two arrested for motorcycle thefts
JAKARTA (JP): Two men were arrested separately in East Jakarta
on Tuesday for allegedly attempting to steal motorcycles.
During police questioning, the two suspects, identified as
Suyadi and Riawanto, claimed to be members of the military, a
police source said yesterday.
Suyadi claimed to be a member of a military transportation
unit here and the other suspect claimed to be a member of a
cavalry unit, said the source.
As of yesterday afternoon, the two were being held separately
at the East Jakarta Police precinct and Jakarta Police
Headquarters.
According to the police source, who asked for anonymity,
Suyadi was arrested at 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, while Riawanto at about
11:30 p.m.
Suyadi was arrested after allegedly trying to steal a
motorcycle owned by Deddy Darmansyah. The motorcycle was parked
in front of the Jatinegara market in East Jakarta, the source
said.
Deddy, who reportedly saw Suyadi trying to start the
motorcycle, quickly ran after him and screamed for help, the
police said.
An angry crowd beat up Suyadi before handing him over to the
East Jakarta Police precinct.
Riawanto was arrested by members of the Air Force at Halim
Perdanakusuma Air Base in East Jakarta while allegedly trying to
enter the air base on a stolen motorcycle, the police said.
He claimed to have obtained the bike from a motorist he
stopped near Prumpung Bridge in Jatinegara. Passing himself off
as a police officer, he said he accused the motorcyclist, later
identified as Sigit Sugianto, of having violated a traffic
regulation.
According to the source, Riawanto hit the victim, a resident
of a police dormitory in Cipinang, before taking his motorcycle
and driving to Halim, where he was arrested for entering the
restricted area without proper identification.
The Air Force then handed him over to city police, who had
received a report from the motorcycle's owner.
Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang confirmed the
arrests yesterday but refused to comment further.
"We're still contacting the related bodies to check whether
the two suspects are really military members," he said.
If they prove to be soldiers, they will be handed over to the
military police for further investigation, said Aritonang.
The police spokesman, however, did not explain why it would
take time to confirm the suspects' status given the technology of
today. (cst)