Two suspects in Grogol gold robbery busted

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)