Two suspected airport thieves shot dead

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Two suspected members of a gang that has been stealing luggage at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport for the past three years were shot and killed by airport police on Thursday.

David Bernando, 18, and Roni Patira, 31, were apprehended by airport police on Wednesday after being caught attempting to steal a bag belonging to a passenger who had just arrived from overseas.

During questioning, the two told police they were part of a 15-member gang that had been operating at the airport for over three years.

An officer speaking on the condition of anonymity said "the two were then asked to lead the police to the other gang members".

Roni, a resident of Majalengka, West Java, led several officers to one location, while David, a resident of South Sumatra, led officers to a separate location in Central Jakarta.

The officer said Roni attempted to escape police custody in Cileduk, Tangerang, and was shot and killed.

David directed police to Lapangan Banteng, Central Jakarta, where he allegedly attacked the officers and attempted to escape before being fatally shot.

"Officers fired several warning shots but both suspects chose to ignore the shots," said the officer, who added that the two bodies were taken to the police hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta.

The officer said the airport gang worked by removing baggage from the luggage carousel before a member of the gang posing as a passenger picked up the baggage and exited the airport.

The officer declined to say whether any of the gang members were thought to be official luggage handlers at the airport.

Airport police chief Sr. Comr. Firman Shantyabudi confirmed the incidents, but did not provide details.