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Jakarta Post

CGK chaos provoked by stranded relative, police reveal

Sriwijaya Air's counter in Terminal 1B, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, in Tangerang, Banten was attacked by 11 men Wednesday afternoon, allegedly due to bad service

Niken Prathivi (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Fri, October 2, 2009

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CGK chaos provoked by stranded relative, police reveal

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riwijaya Air's counter in Terminal 1B, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, in Tangerang, Banten was attacked by 11 men Wednesday afternoon, allegedly due to bad service. police investigation revealed.

Jakarta Police have so far handcuffed five out of 11 attackers.

Sriwijaya Air, which serves flights between Indonesia's largest cities, was attacked at 4:30 p.m. The 11 men were driving in a blue minivan and black SUV.

Head of Mobile Detectives Unit for General Crimes of Jakarta Police Adj. Sr. Comr. Achmad Rivai said the incident was triggered by an unsatisfied passenger, who was related to the attackers.

"They *the attackers* were upset when their relative from Ambon *Maluku* could not continue the trip to Jakarta, after a stopoves in Makassar," Achmad said Thursday.

When asked whether bad service had possibly motivated the violence, Sriwijaya Airlines spokeswoman Hana rejected the accusation.

"Our office in Makassar could not let a passenger continue the trip to Jakarta as this person did not have a continuation ticket," she said.

"But we would help any of our passengers *without the right ticket* to get a ticket to continue his or her trip with other airlines."

Hana added the Makassar office's failure to fly a passenger could not justify the attack against the office at Soekarna-Hatta.

During Wednesday's incident, gunshots were heard, creating a minor commotion at the airport.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Chrysnandha Dwi Laksana confirmed the gunshots were from police officers.

"The shots were released to deter the attackers," he said, adding media reports that the attackers shot back at the police were inaccurate.

The assailants damaged the airline's ticket windows, a door as well as glass covering a desk, using tin sticks and samurai swords.

Chrysnandha said his men captured Iwan Rahayan, Bernerd Rahan Kuban, and Oeng Hukubun, early Thursday morning in Ciledug, Tangerang, Banten.

"The remaining five suspects are still at large."

Two suspects, identified by initials AM and DAN, were arrested shortly after the attack. AM, who was disabled by a shot to his left leg, is currently being treated at Soekanto Police Hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, while DAM, along with the three suspects, has been detained behind Jakarta Police bars.

The five fugitives are identified as OG, BAS, ANG, HEL, FOH and HEN.

Airport janitor Abdulrahman said the incident happened quickly.

"It probably occurred within 15 minutes. The attackers took off when the police arrived," Abdulrahman told www.vivanews.com.

Indonesia has been enjoying a budget airlines boom and Sriwijaya is one of the airlines that offers cheaper ticket prices than flagship carrier Garuda Indonesia.

These conditions are reportedly attracting a new breed of customers who fail to master the etiquette of flying, which is different to that of land transportation.

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