Wanted robber shot dead

JAKARTA (JP): West Jakarta Police detectives fatally shot a longtime suspected bank robber on Jl. Ring Road Rawa Buaya, Duri Kosambi, early Monday morning.

West Jakarta police chief of detectives Capt. Sahar identified the man as Iwan Palepi, 25, who was sought by police for two daring robberies in 1998 and 1999.

"Iwan robbed Rp 34 million (US$4,535) from a customer of Bank Buana in Cengkareng in 1998, and robbed Rp 17 million from another bank customer on Jl. Raya Kapuk, North Jakarta, in 1999," Sahar said.

He said Cengkareng Police caught Iwan in a Kilat Jaya night criminal raid at 12:30 a.m. on Monday. Police confiscated a gun and five bullets from Iwan.

"Since he is a wanted robber, Iwan was immediately surrendered to the West Jakarta Police. Iwan then told us that his accomplices, Rizal and Kadir, live somewhere in Duri Kosambi, and that he would show us the place."

He added that once the detectives and Iwan reached Jl. Ring Road Rawa Buaya, detectives found the police car could not pass through the narrow lane.

The detectives and Iwan got out of the police vehicle, and started walking toward the residences Iwan identified.

"Iwan tried to take off. Our detectives shot him in the leg, he still tried to run. Detectives then had to shoot him in the back," Sahar said.

Iwan died on the way to the National Police Kramatjati Hospital in East Jakarta. (ylt)