T

he Jakarta Police are praising their rapid resolution of six homicide investigations in the last month, thanks to what they say have been cooperative witnesses and hard working investigators.

Suspects in all the high-profile cases were arrested less than one month after the homicides took place, including those allegedly involved in two gruesome murder-and-mutilation cases in East and North Jakarta, a spokesman said. Some were arrested within 24 hours of the crime.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto had praised on Wednesday for the detectives on the cases, who he said had done their best to obtain evidence at the crime scenes, interview witnesses, interrogate suspects and follow-up leads.

“The most important thing is that the detectives took their chances and followed up on every lead to pursue the criminals,” he said.

Last week, detectives arrested three suspects for the murder of a man whose bound and decomposing body was found in a car at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. A suspect identified as IW allegedly killed the victim, Imam Assyafi’i, a computer businessman.

IW allegedly sold items he stole from Imam to a second suspect, AQ, both of whom were arrested in Pondok Bambu, East Jakarta, two days later.

Police said that IW strangled Imam to death with a cable, assisting TDA — the reputed mastermind behind the homicide, who was captured in Kuningan, West Java, less than 24 hours after Imam’s body was discovered.

Rikwanto also cited the rapid arrest of Alanshia, 32, who allegedly murdered and mutilated a man at a store at the Marina Mediterania Residence in Ancol, North Jakarta, on March 11, after the victim tried to collect on a debt.

Alanshia was arrested in Surabaya, East Java, four days after the dismembered body of Tony Arifin Djomin, 45, was discovered.

Rikwanto said the media should be careful about identifying the suspects during the police’s preliminary investigation. “If the media isn’t careful in reporting in such a situation, the people whose names are mentioned can actually hide, and it will make the police’s job harder in investigating the case,” he said.

Meanwhile, Violent Crimes Unit chief Comr. Budy Hermanto said the several recent cases of murder or mutilation in the city were perpetrated by resentful suspects who were otherwise mentally
competent. (fzm)