Two shot, eight others arrested for burglaries

JAKARTA (JP): Police have arrested ten men in the last two days, two of them after being shot, for their alleged involvement in burglaries.

City Police Spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said one of the two shot suspects was identified as Tagor Batubara, aged 27. He was shot in the right leg while he and his three accomplices were attempting to flee a businessman's house on Jl. Kertanegara, in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, laden down with goods.

The other injured person, identified as Matjuki, was shot in his left leg during a police raid in East Jakarta, Aritonang said.

"Both suspects were shot for resisting arrest. They are now being treated at Kramatjati Police hospital," he said.

Tagor and his accomplices arrived at the house at about 2:10 a.m. by jumping over the property's fence.

Aritonang said that at the time of the burglary the house owner, Utoyo Puspo, was accompanying his wife, Suharti, to the Medistra hospital and the house was occupied only by a security guard, identified as Imam Sutaji, 39, and three maids.

He said Imam, who was lying in a bed in the yard, was overwhelmed and tied up with a hose by the robbers. "The robbers covered his face with a prayer mat."

The housemaids were threatened with a sickle and asked to go to a room when the robbers entered the house.

A security guard in a house in front of the burgled house heard noises and immediately phoned Kebayoran Baru Police subprecinct, he said.

Police officers arriving at the scene saw the burglars were about to leave with their booty, including a 29-inch television, seven loud speakers, a bag and 28 t-shirts.

Police ordered the burglars, who were already in a Mitsubishi Colt T 120 SS van, to surrender but they ignored the command, Aritonang said.

The police then shot the van's windshield after firing two warning shots.

The four robbers jumped out of the van and tried to run away, but police shot Tagor and arrested him. They also seized the abandoned van.

Police arrested nine members of four criminal gangs Tuesday in East Jakarta specializing in home burglaries .

Sharp weapons

Aritonang said that the crooks concentrated on home electronic appliances and always used guns and sharp weapons to threaten intended victims.

A S&W 38. gun loaded with six bullets and many sharp weapons were seized during several police raids in East Jakarta, he said.

The suspects lived in East Jakarta. "Six of the nine men were neighbors in the Kampung Tengah subdistrict," he said.

The leaders of the four gangs were all arrested. They were named as Suparlan, Syamsuddin, Prayitno, and Simon Matatita, he said

Aritonang said that the four and their accomplices had been involved in many robberies, including one in the central market Kramatjati, East Jakarta, earlier this year.

"They made off with some Rp 36.5 million (US$15,000) in the Kramatjati robbery alone," he said.

The police are still searching for eight other members of the gangs.

All four members of Suparlan's gang members were arrested, while Syamsuddin and Prayitno's were still at large. Only one of Simon's accomplices was arrested.

Aritonang said the membership of the gangs was flexible and that the thieves could join as many gangs as they like. (jun/cst)