Two suspects in Grogol gold robbery busted

JAKARTA (JP): Police have arrested two suspects of last month's robbery in West Jakarta in which a police sergeant was shot to dead.

A police source said yesterday that the two were apprehended in separate raids in Jakarta and the East Java capital of Surabaya last week.

Police also seized a Yamaha RX King motorcycle, a sickle and a machete believed to have been used in the Aug. 1 robbery on Jl. Dr. Susilo in Grogol, said the source.

City Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang confirmed the arrests but refused to give their identities or details of the arrest.

"Everything is still under investigation," he said.

First Sgt. Witono was killed while on assignment escorting an employee of a private company who was transporting two kilograms of gold bars from Pasar Grogol to Roxy Mas. Witono was a member of the elite brigade mobile police unit.

Witono, 27, was shot twice in the abdomen and wounded in his left hand.

According to the source, police detectives are looking for six other suspects believed to be involved in the robbery, including the mastermind and alleged shooter.

Police are intensively interrogating the two suspects to obtain detailed information about their accomplices and on the robbery itself.

During police interrogation, the two confessed to committing the robbery with six other accomplices, said the source.

"They said four men drove two motorcycles behind Witono and the others were in a car in front of the officer," said the source.

Those in the car were meant to force Witono to drive in the other direction while the two on motorcycles were to corner him, he said.

The two arrested suspects, however, denied the allegation that they had attacked and shot the officer.

Another source said yesterday that the two had said one of their accomplices was a serviceman.

It remains unclear what happened to the gold as police have refused to disclose details. (cst)