Bati Kartini & Samuel L.

4 Gold Shop Robbers Killed, 2 Caught During Police Raids Across the City

Four of the six men who robbed a gold shop in Tangerang on Wednesday, have been shot dead in raids carried out at several locations across the city by the West Jakarta’s Mobile Brigade, Jakarta Police spokesman Chryshnanda Dwi Laksana said on Friday, adding that the two others were arrested and were now in police detention.

Chrysnanda identified the four as Busri, 46, believed to be the mastermind of the robbery, Purwanto, 32, Sidik, 34, and Marjo aka Bejo, 36, while the two detained were Setiawan, 30, and Arifudin, 32.

“The two suspects are being questioned about others involved in the crime,” said Chryshnanda, adding the two were being detained at the West Jakarta Police offices.

He said that the robbers were caught during raids in Bintaro, Lebak Bulus, and Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta and Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta on Thursday night. Police also retrieved two guns used in the robbery.

The bodies of the robbers are being autopsied at the National Police Hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta.

The gang had robbed two jewelry stores in West Jakarta before robbing a gold shop in Teluk Naga, Tangerang on Wednesday, where they took six kilograms of gold and Rp 200 million ($20,000) in cash.

Wednesday’s incident took place at around 1:30 p.m., when eight robber burst into the gold shop pointing guns at three shopkeepers before making off with the loot.

Chrysnanda did not say if police were able to recover the gold, jewelry and stolen cash.

Meanwhile, director of Jakarta Police’s General Crime Unit, Sr. Comr. Muhammad Iriawan called on Jakarta residents to be alert as crimes tended to increase during the fasting month of Ramadan, which this year runs from Aug. 22 to Sept. 20.

He, however, assured the public that police would take all necessary measures to keep the capital safe.

He said a number of security operations would be launched involving police detectives, traffic police and Mobile Brigade members.

The security operations, which started one week before the fasting month begun and run two weeks after Idul Fitri celebrations on Sept. 21 and 22, also aimed at ensuring safety during the annual exodus.

Millions of Indonesians return to their hometowns during Ramadan to celebrate Idul Fitri with their family members. Although most travelers take public transport, hundreds of thousands of people ride motorbikes or private cars, creating massive gridlock in the nation’s roadway system.

Iriawan said crimes such as house break-ins and robberies tend to increase during Ramadan, when the need for extra money was high because of the festivities.

He cited as an example another incident that took place in Ciputat, Tangerang, on Wednesday when a man named Turnadi, 34, was stopped and stabbed in the arm by two unidentified persons riding a motorcycle.

When he fell to the ground, police said that the two assailants took Rp 60 million from Turnadi’s jacket pocket before riding away.