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member of the Indonesian Military (TNI), Corporal Darodjat, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the PT Securicor Indonesia van robbery that resulted in Rp 5.49 billion (US$564,000) being stolen, has been arrested in Cianjur, West Java.

Darodjat allegedly robbed the money van, which was carrying Rp 5.49 billion in cash belonging to four banks '€” Bank Central Asia (BCA), Bank Internasional Indonesia (BII), Bank CIMB Niaga and Bank OCBC NISP, on April 27.

He had been instructed to protect the van while it made its way to several of the banks'€™ automatic teller machines (ATMs) in 11 locations across Bandung.

However, it transpired that Darodjat had planned the crime with two accomplices, Agus Suprianto and Defri, three weeks earlier.

On the day of the robbery, Agus and Defri followed the van being escorted by Darodjat at around 7 p.m. Inside the van were the driver, Indra Nasution, and Deden Sudiri Mulyawan, a PT Securicor Indonesia technician.

After Deden had finished refilling money at an ATM on Jl. Sunda, Agus and Defri arrived on the scene and threatened Indra and Deden with a knife and stun gun.

'€œDarodjat pretended not to know Agus and Defri and let them commit the crime,'€ Bandung Police chief Sr. Comr. Abdul Rakhman Baso said in Bandung on Friday.

The driver and technician were later found unconscious in separate locations, namely at the Saguling Dam and inside a car in Cianjur.

The suspects later drove the Securicor van out of Bandung before attempting to take the money from the internal safe. '€œThey did not take all the money, however. They left around Rp 1.7 billion, which was returned to Securicor,'€ said Rakhman.

Darodjat made away with Rp 1 billion from the heist, while Agus, who dealt with the driver and the technician, was paid Rp 650 million and Defri, who provided the stun gun and drove the van, got Rp 1 billion.

Darodjat reportedly spent the money on the purchase of two houses, a car and items of jewelry, some of which he gave to his two girlfriends.

'€œWe managed to confiscate money and assets worth Rp 1.3 billion. Defri took the remaining money and we are still tracking his whereabouts,'€ said Rakhman, adding that the police first netted Agus before arresting Darodjat on Wednesday.

Agus admitted that he was persuaded by Darodjat to rob the money van. '€œHe offered me Rp 400 million,'€ said Agus, who sells kupat tahu (rice cake with fried tofu).

Rakhman said the police had handed Darodjat over to the TNI, adding that each of the trio could face a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison as stipulated in Article 365 of the Criminal Code (KUHP).