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Semarang Police order shoot on site for ‘begal'
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Police officers tell alleged motorcycle thieves, mostly in their teens, to perform a reenactment of how they stole the motorbikes at North Sumatra's police headquarters on March 23. The police arrested five thieves, known as begal, who often used violence against their victims. (Antara/Irsan Mulyadi)
S
emarang Police have ordered the Elang Team, comprising of 45 policemen, to shoot violent motorcycle thieves (begal) caught in the act.
Semarang Police chief Sr. Comr. Abiyoso Seno Aji said Friday his subordinates would not hesitate to shoot the thieves.
“We try verbal persuasion, if they obey, praise the Lord, but if they insist on committing crimes, I would be glad to reduce the Semarang population,” Abiyoso said.
“Elang Team will work 24 hours, seven days a week. They will take turns in shifts. I myself will check the field if I don’t have any sudden meetings,” he said.
He said the capacity of the police detention center had been overloaded. “The maximum number should have been 80 detainees but now we have more than 100 detainees,” Abiyoso said.
He promised to speed up investigations so the detainees could move to the prosecutors' office detention center. “We know, prisons everywhere are overcrowded,” he went on.
There have been reports on violent thieves operating on the streets of Semarang lately. Last month, six alleged thieves were in an altercation with locals who mobbed them after one of the suspects allegedly attacked a local with a machete, nearly decapitating the victim’s arm. (evi)
